CPG Healthcare Decisions 3

Question 1

A ward is hospitalized and a surgeon requests consent for an elective, non-emergency procedure. The guardian is unreachable for 12 hours. What should the hospital do?

Accepted Answer

Postpone the elective procedure until the guardian can be reached

Answer

For elective (non-emergency) procedures, healthcare providers must wait for the legally authorized decision-maker; the guardian should be located before proceeding.

Question 2

A professional guardian oversees a ward with schizophrenia who refuses antipsychotic medication. The treatment team wants to medicate forcibly. What must generally occur first?

Accepted Answer

A court hearing is typically required to authorize involuntary administration of psychotropic medication

Answer

Forced administration of psychotropic medication typically requires a separate court order due to heightened constitutional protections around the right to refuse psychiatric treatment.

Question 3

When a guardian consents to a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order for a ward, what should the guardian ensure is documented?

Accepted Answer

The basis for the decision—including the ward's prior expressed wishes or best interest analysis—should be documented in the guardian's records

Answer

Guardians should document the ethical and factual basis for DNR consent, including any advance directives or substituted judgment analysis, to demonstrate the decision was properly made.

Question 4

A ward requires surgery and has a blood type that makes transfusions critical. The ward's prior statements indicated they were a Jehovah's Witness who refused blood transfusions. How should the guardian approach this?

Accepted Answer

Honor the ward's deeply held religious beliefs and refuse transfusion consent in line with substituted judgment

Answer

Under the substituted judgment standard, the guardian should honor the ward's previously expressed, deeply held religious beliefs about refusing blood transfusions.

Question 5

What role does an ethics committee at a healthcare facility play when a guardian faces a difficult medical decision?

Accepted Answer

Ethics committees provide consultation and recommendations but cannot override the guardian's legal authority

Answer

Hospital ethics committees offer valuable consultation and moral guidance for difficult cases, but their recommendations are advisory; the guardian retains legal decision-making authority.

(CPG) Certified Professional Guardian Practice Test

(CPG) Certified Professional Guardian Practice Test

CPG Healthcare Decisions 3