Legal and Ethical Issues Flashcards

A medication aide accidentally gives the wrong medication to a resident. The first action should be:

Answer: Notify the nurse immediately and document the error

Immediate notification of the nurse allows prompt clinical assessment of the resident and initiation of any needed interventions.

Which principle describes treating all residents fairly and equally regardless of personal characteristics?

Answer: Justice

Justice as an ethical principle requires equitable and fair treatment of all individuals without discrimination.

A resident's daughter calls and asks about her mother's medication list. The aide should:

Answer: Verify that the resident has authorized release of information before sharing

HIPAA prohibits sharing PHI with family members without the resident's authorization, regardless of the relationship.

The ethical principle of 'do no harm' is called:

Answer: Non-maleficence

Non-maleficence is the ethical obligation to avoid actions that cause harm to the patient.

A medication aide who delegates a medication task to an unlicensed staff member is:

Answer: Violating state law and facility policy

Medication aides are not authorized to delegate medication administration to unlicensed personnel; doing so violates scope of practice laws.

Which statement best describes the legal concept of negligence in medication administration?

Answer: Failing to meet the standard of care, resulting in resident harm

Negligence occurs when a medication aide fails to meet the expected standard of care and that failure causes harm to a resident.

A facility's policy requires two nurses to verify a controlled substance count at the end of each shift. This practice primarily serves to:

Answer: Prevent medication diversion and ensure accountability

Controlled substance counts with dual verification are a safeguard against diversion and ensure all controlled drugs are accounted for.