Among the following which one is known as an intentional touch to another's body without their consent?

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021

Explanation

Battery is an intentional tort defined as any offensive touching of another person without their explicit or implied consent.
In a healthcare setting, this includes performing any procedure, even a simple one like giving an injection, without the patient's permission.
The key elements are that the touch is intentional and lacks consent; it does not need to cause actual injury, as being offensive to the person's dignity is sufficient.

Option B: Fraud is an intentional deception for personal or financial gain. It does not involve the act of physical touching but rather misrepresentation or deceit.
Option C: Negligence is an unintentional tort. It involves a failure to provide the accepted standard of care, leading to harm. The keyword in the question is 'intentional', which rules out negligence.
Option D: This option is incorrect because a specific legal term, Battery, accurately describes an intentional touch without consent.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Legal Torts in Nursing Practice as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the concept of battery is fundamental to respecting patient autonomy and the legal requirement for informed consent before any nursing intervention.
Nurses must ensure they have valid consent before touching a patient for any reason, from physical assessments to administering medications, to avoid legal liability.
What if a nurse only threatens to give an unwanted injection? This action would constitute assault, which is the threat of harmful contact, whereas battery is the actual physical contact.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the keywords in the question's stem: 'intentional touch' and 'without consent'.
This is a definition-based recall question. Your task is to match this specific definition to the correct legal term from the options.
Evaluate each option against the keywords.
Option A, Battery, is the legal term for intentional, unconsented touching.
Option B, Fraud, relates to deception, not touching.
Option C, Negligence, is about unintentional harm from substandard care. The keyword 'intentional' in the stem rules this out.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 101-103

E6 Nursing_Management_and_leadership_Johny_Kutty_JosephCbs_Publishers (pp 16-364 of 374) p. 333-335

Practise the full AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.