# A nurse reviews reporting duties under applicable state law and facility policy. Which situations should be routed through mandatory reporting channels? Select all that apply.

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> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=374928&lang=en  
> language: en  
> subject: Management of Care  
> category: MOC

## Question

A nurse reviews reporting duties under applicable state law and facility policy. Which situations should be routed through mandatory reporting channels? Select all that apply.

1

Reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect, reported to the designated child-protection authority.

2

Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable older adult when covered by jurisdictional law.

3

A diagnosis on the state or local reportable-disease list, reported to the public health authority.

4

A patient's disclosure of an extramarital affair, reported to the patient's spouse.

5

An injury that applicable law requires clinicians to report to law enforcement.

## Explanation

Mandatory-reporting duties come from applicable federal, state, and local law and must be followed through the designated channel. Common categories include suspected child abuse, specified abuse or exploitation of vulnerable adults, diseases named on the jurisdiction's reportable-disease list, and injuries that local law requires clinicians to report. Exact definitions and recipients vary by jurisdiction. A private disclosure about an extramarital affair is not a mandatory-reporting category and should remain confidential unless another lawful exception applies.

## In-depth explanation

Decision rule
First identify the governing law and facility process. Do not invent a universal national list: reportable diseases, vulnerable-adult definitions, and reportable injuries vary by jurisdiction.

Common channels
Reasonable suspicion of child abuse goes to the designated protection authority. Other vulnerable-adult reports, public-health reports, and law-enforcement injury reports are made when the applicable jurisdiction requires them. Private relationship information remains confidential unless a separate lawful exception applies.

HIPAA principle
HIPAA permits disclosures that are required by law, but the disclosure must stay within that law's scope.

## Clinical scenario

The nurse, as a licensed healthcare professional, is a **mandatory reporter** under state and federal law. The nurse reviews scenarios that legally require reporting to designated agencies (CPS/APS, public health, law enforcement) regardless of patient or family preference.

## Key concepts

- **Mandatory reporter** — Healthcare professionals are required by law to report suspected abuse, certain diseases, and violent injuries; failure carries criminal liability.
- **CPS / APS reporting threshold** — SUSPICION of abuse/neglect is sufficient for mandatory report; investigation is the agency role, not the nurse.
- **Reportable communicable diseases** — State health department maintains the list — TB, HIV per state, syphilis, gonorrhea, measles, pertussis, meningococcal, foodborne outbreaks.

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