LVN Ethical Standards & Legal Responsibilities 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An LVN suspects a patient is being abused by a family caregiver. Under mandatory reporting laws, the LVN must:
- Discuss the concern only with the patient before taking action
- Report the suspicion to the appropriate authority without needing proof (Correct answer)
- Wait until abuse is confirmed before reporting
- Let the physician decide whether to report
Correct answer: Report the suspicion to the appropriate authority without needing proof
Mandatory reporters must report suspected abuse to the appropriate agency based on reasonable suspicion alone; proof is not required.
Question 2: Which scenario best illustrates the ethical principle of justice in nursing?
- An LVN spends more time with patients who are polite
- An LVN provides equal quality care regardless of a patient's ability to pay (Correct answer)
- An LVN prioritizes patients based on personal preference
- An LVN advocates only for patients with life-threatening conditions
Correct answer: An LVN provides equal quality care regardless of a patient's ability to pay
Justice requires fair and equitable distribution of care and resources without discrimination or personal bias.
Question 3: An LVN administers a medication and the patient experiences a severe adverse reaction. The nurse's notes should reflect:
- Only the medication given and nothing about the reaction to avoid liability
- The medication given, the patient's reaction, interventions taken, and provider notification (Correct answer)
- Only the interventions and outcomes, not the initial error
- A statement that the reaction was unexpected and unavoidable
Correct answer: The medication given, the patient's reaction, interventions taken, and provider notification
Accurate and complete documentation of the event, response, and communication is both a legal and professional obligation.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a nurse practice act (NPA)?
- To set salary standards for nurses
- To define the scope of practice and protect public safety (Correct answer)
- To determine hospital staffing ratios
- To regulate nursing school curricula only
Correct answer: To define the scope of practice and protect public safety
The Nurse Practice Act in each state defines the legal scope of nursing practice and exists primarily to protect the public from unsafe practitioners.
Question 5: A patient has a DNR order on file. The patient goes into cardiac arrest and a family member demands that CPR be started. The LVN should:
- Begin CPR immediately because the family requested it
- Honor the DNR order and provide comfort measures (Correct answer)
- Call a code and let the code team decide
- Remove the DNR order from the chart
Correct answer: Honor the DNR order and provide comfort measures
A valid DNR order reflects the patient's wishes and must be honored even over family objections; the legal document takes precedence.
Question 6: Which behavior by an LVN is an example of unprofessional conduct reportable to the state board of nursing?
- Reporting a medication error to the charge nurse
- Documenting a patient's refusal of medication
- Accessing a celebrity patient's records out of personal curiosity (Correct answer)
- Asking a patient to clarify their pain level
Correct answer: Accessing a celebrity patient's records out of personal curiosity
Unauthorized access to patient records for non-care purposes violates HIPAA and constitutes unprofessional conduct subject to disciplinary action.
Question 7: The principle of 'double effect' in nursing ethics refers to:
- Giving two medications with synergistic effects
- An action intended for good that may have a foreseen harmful side effect (Correct answer)
- Requiring two nurses to verify high-risk medications
- Treating two patients simultaneously during an emergency
Correct answer: An action intended for good that may have a foreseen harmful side effect
The doctrine of double effect permits an action intended for good (e.g., pain relief) even if it may hasten death as an unintended side effect.
LVN Ethical Standards & Legal Responsibilities 4
An LVN suspects a patient is being abused by a family caregiver.
Under mandatory reporting laws, the LVN must: