INACE Professional Ethics and Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident from a different cultural background declines certain foods for religious reasons. The nurse aide should:
- Encourage the resident to try the food anyway
- Respect the preference and report it to the dietary team (Correct answer)
- Assume the resident will change their mind later
- Provide the food but let the resident decide at meal time
Correct answer: Respect the preference and report it to the dietary team
Respecting cultural and religious food preferences is part of person-centered, ethical care and must be communicated to the dietary team.
Question 2: Which scenario is an example of a nurse aide exceeding their scope of practice?
- Taking and recording a resident's blood pressure
- Reminding a resident to take their medication from a nurse-prepared cup
- Changing a sterile wound dressing independently (Correct answer)
- Assisting a resident with ambulation using a gait belt
Correct answer: Changing a sterile wound dressing independently
Changing a sterile wound dressing requires nursing-level skills and is beyond the certified nurse aide's scope of practice.
Question 3: When a resident's family member asks you to share the resident's latest lab results, you should:
- Share the results since family members have a right to know
- Refer the family member to the nurse or physician for that information (Correct answer)
- Check the chart and read the results aloud to the family
- Tell the family to look it up in the resident's online portal themselves
Correct answer: Refer the family member to the nurse or physician for that information
Lab results are confidential medical information; family members should be directed to the licensed nurse or physician.
Question 4: A nurse aide is offered a large cash tip by a grateful resident's family. The appropriate response is to:
- Accept it quietly so as not to seem rude
- Accept it and report it to the supervisor
- Politely decline and explain facility policy on gifts (Correct answer)
- Accept it only if no one else is watching
Correct answer: Politely decline and explain facility policy on gifts
Most facilities prohibit accepting cash or valuable gifts from residents or families; the aide should politely decline per facility policy.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of protecting a resident's dignity during personal care?
- Leaving the room door open for easy access while bathing the resident
- Explaining each step of care before performing it and draping appropriately (Correct answer)
- Hurrying through care without explaining steps to save time
- Talking to a coworker about another resident while providing care
Correct answer: Explaining each step of care before performing it and draping appropriately
Explaining care steps and using proper draping protects the resident's dignity, privacy, and autonomy.
Question 6: A resident tells you they are feeling suicidal. The nurse aide's first action should be to:
- Promise to keep it a secret so the resident trusts you
- Stay with the resident and immediately notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Tell the resident to think positive thoughts and check back later
- Document it and report it at the end of the shift
Correct answer: Stay with the resident and immediately notify the nurse
A suicidal statement is a psychiatric emergency; the aide must stay with the resident and notify the nurse immediately.
Question 7: What does the ethical principle of nonmaleficence require of a nurse aide?
- Doing whatever the resident asks, even if it causes harm
- Avoiding actions that could harm or injure the resident (Correct answer)
- Always placing the facility's interests above the resident's safety
- Sharing all resident information with coworkers freely
Correct answer: Avoiding actions that could harm or injure the resident
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm' — the aide must avoid actions, omissions, or negligence that could hurt the resident.
INACE Professional Ethics and Standards 3
A resident from a different cultural background declines certain foods for religious reasons.
The nurse aide should: