Legal and Ethical Issues 2 Flashcards
6 cards from real MACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Legal and Ethical Issues 2 flashcards as text
A Medication Aide notices that a resident has unexplained bruising on their arms and appears frightened whenever a particular staff member enters the room. What is the MOST appropriate action for the Medication Aide to take?
Answer: Document the observations and report them to the supervising nurse immediately
Medication Aides are mandated reporters who are legally required to report suspected abuse or neglect to their supervisor immediately. Personal investigation, delay, or involving residents violates both legal obligations and the resident's privacy.
A resident's adult daughter asks the Medication Aide to give her mother a dietary supplement she brought from home that is not listed in the physician's orders. The Medication Aide should:
Answer: Refuse to administer it, as only medications ordered by the prescribing physician may be given
Medication Aides are legally authorized to administer only those medications specifically ordered by a licensed physician. Giving any substance not covered by a physician's order—regardless of whether it is a supplement—exceeds the scope of practice and creates legal liability.
A resident has a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order documented in their chart. The resident is found unresponsive and not breathing. What should the Medication Aide do FIRST?
Answer: Honor the DNR order by withholding resuscitative measures and notify the nurse immediately
A signed DNR order is a legally binding advance directive that must be followed. The Medication Aide must not initiate CPR and must notify the supervising nurse at once. Family preferences at the bedside do not override a valid legal document.
The ethical principle of 'beneficence' most directly obligates a Medication Aide to:
Answer: Take actions that actively promote the resident's well-being and best interests
Beneficence means doing good and acting in the resident's best interest. It is distinct from nonmaleficence (avoiding harm), justice (equal treatment), and autonomy (self-determination), each of which describes a separate ethical obligation.
A Medication Aide discovers they accidentally gave a resident half the prescribed dose of a scheduled medication. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?
Answer: Notify the supervising nurse immediately and document the error accurately in the medical record
All medication errors must be reported to the supervising nurse immediately so clinical decisions can be made to protect the resident. The error must then be documented accurately. Falsifying the MAR or delaying reporting is both unethical and illegal.
A co-worker asks a Medication Aide to countersign a medication administration record (MAR) for a medication the co-worker claims to have given earlier but forgot to document. What should the Medication Aide do?
Answer: Refuse to sign, because cosigning would constitute falsification of the medical record
Signing a MAR for an administration you did not personally perform is falsification of a legal medical document, which is both illegal and unethical. No personal relationship, resident confirmation, or explanation justifies signing for care you did not witness.