As a nurse, you have the authority to quarantine individuals during an outbreak.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only with a court order
• D. Only in hospital settings

Answer: (A)

Quarantine authority comes from public health law and official orders, not from a nurse’s personal decision. During an outbreak, health departments can mandate quarantine to prevent spread, and nurses carry out those measures under that legal framework. This means a nurse can implement and enforce quarantine as part of the public health response, whether the person is at a hospital, in a clinic, or at home, and under the direction of authorities. Some situations may involve court processes, but many quarantine actions are authorized directly by public health statutes or administrative orders without needing a court ruling. The key idea is that the nurse’s authority to quarantine stems from public health authority and official orders, not individual discretion.