LVN Ethical Standards & Legal Responsibilities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An LVN discovers a colleague falsifying medication administration records. What is the LVN's primary obligation?
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the falsification to a supervisor or appropriate authority (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague privately and ask them to stop
- Document the observation in the patient's chart
Correct answer: Report the falsification to a supervisor or appropriate authority
LVNs are legally and ethically obligated to report suspected fraud or falsification of records to protect patient safety.
Question 2: Which legal doctrine holds employers responsible for the negligent acts of their employees performed within the scope of employment?
- Res ipsa loquitur
- Respondeat superior (Correct answer)
- Contributory negligence
- Assumption of risk
Correct answer: Respondeat superior
Respondeat superior ('let the master answer') makes employers vicariously liable for employee negligence during employment duties.
Question 3: A patient tells the LVN they want to leave the hospital against medical advice (AMA). The LVN should FIRST:
- Call security to prevent the patient from leaving
- Inform the supervising nurse/physician and document the patient's request (Correct answer)
- Physically restrain the patient to prevent harm
- Tell the patient they cannot leave until the doctor approves
Correct answer: Inform the supervising nurse/physician and document the patient's request
Competent adults have the right to refuse treatment; the LVN must notify the appropriate provider and follow AMA documentation procedures.
Question 4: Which ethical principle requires the LVN to keep a promise made to a patient?
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Fidelity (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Fidelity
Fidelity refers to the duty to keep promises and honor commitments made to patients.
Question 5: An LVN administers the wrong medication due to a misread order. Which action is legally required after notifying the supervisor?
- Alter the medication administration record to hide the error
- Complete an incident/variance report documenting the error (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague to witness that the error did not occur
- Wait to see if the patient has an adverse reaction before reporting
Correct answer: Complete an incident/variance report documenting the error
Incident reports are a legal requirement to document medication errors and initiate follow-up for patient safety.
Question 6: Under HIPAA, which of the following is permissible without patient authorization?
- Sharing patient records with the patient's employer
- Discussing patient information with the patient's spouse
- Disclosing information to treating providers for continuity of care (Correct answer)
- Releasing records to a patient's attorney upon request
Correct answer: Disclosing information to treating providers for continuity of care
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI among treating healthcare providers for treatment purposes without patient authorization.
Question 7: A patient refuses a blood transfusion based on religious beliefs. The LVN should:
- Administer the transfusion because it is life-saving
- Respect the refusal and document it, notifying the care team (Correct answer)
- Tell the patient they are being irrational
- Ask the family to override the patient's decision
Correct answer: Respect the refusal and document it, notifying the care team
Competent adult patients have the right to refuse treatment for any reason, including religious beliefs, and the LVN must respect and document this.
LVN Ethical Standards & Legal Responsibilities 2
An LVN discovers a colleague falsifying medication administration records.
What is the LVN's primary obligation?