Legal and Ethical Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real LVN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal and Ethical Practice flashcards as text
A patient refuses a prescribed medication. What is the LVN's first appropriate action?
Answer: Document the refusal and notify the charge nurse or supervising RN
The LVN must respect patient autonomy, document the refusal, and report it to the supervising nurse for follow-up.
Which document legally authorizes another person to make healthcare decisions for a patient who becomes incapacitated?
Answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a healthcare proxy to make decisions when the patient lacks decision-making capacity.
An LVN witnesses a co-worker falsifying a patient's medication administration record. What should the LVN do?
Answer: Report the falsification to the supervisor and document the observation
Falsifying medical records is fraudulent and illegal; the LVN has a professional and legal duty to report it to a supervisor.
Under HIPAA, which of the following is permissible without specific patient authorization?
Answer: Releasing information to other treating providers for continuity of care
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI to other treating providers without authorization because it is needed for treatment purposes.
A patient signs a consent form but later tells the LVN they did not understand what they signed. The LVN should:
Answer: Notify the supervising RN or physician so informed consent can be re-established
Informed consent requires understanding; if that is lacking, the procedure should be paused and the provider notified to re-explain and re-obtain consent.
Which ethical principle is MOST directly upheld when an LVN keeps a patient's diagnosis confidential from unauthorized visitors?
Answer: Confidentiality/Fidelity
Protecting patient information from unauthorized parties upholds the ethical duty of confidentiality, a component of fidelity to the nurse-patient relationship.
An LVN is asked to perform a task that falls outside their scope of practice. The appropriate response is to:
Answer: Decline and explain that the task exceeds their scope of practice
LVNs must practice within their legally defined scope and must refuse tasks that exceed those boundaries to protect patient safety.