Legal and Ethical Issues 3 Flashcards

A Medication Aide observes unexplained bruising on a resident's arms and suspects physical abuse by a family member. What is the Medication Aide's MOST important legal obligation?

Answer: Report the suspicion immediately to the charge nurse or supervisor and follow facility reporting procedures

Medication Aides are mandated reporters under state and federal law. Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation must be reported immediately to a supervisor so that proper investigation and reporting to the appropriate authorities can occur. Delaying, confronting the alleged abuser, or keeping private notes violates mandatory reporting requirements.

A Medication Aide is asked by a resident's adult daughter, who is visiting, to explain exactly what medications her parent is taking and why. The resident has not provided authorization for this disclosure. What should the Medication Aide do?

Answer: Explain that resident health information cannot be shared without the resident's consent and direct the daughter to the appropriate staff

Under HIPAA and residents' rights regulations, protected health information may not be disclosed to family members without the resident's authorization. The Medication Aide must decline to share the information and refer the family member to the appropriate personnel who can verify authorization status.

A resident has a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order on file. The resident stops breathing during the Medication Aide's shift. Which of the following actions is legally and ethically correct?

Answer: Follow the DNR order, notify the nurse immediately, and provide comfort measures as directed

A valid DNR order is a legal document that must be honored. The Medication Aide must respect the resident's advance directive, notify the nurse immediately, and provide comfort-focused care. Initiating CPR against a valid DNR or deferring to family members instead of the legal document violates both law and the resident's autonomous wishes.

The ethical principle of 'beneficence' MOST directly requires a Medication Aide to:

Answer: Actively promote the well-being and best interests of each resident

Beneficence means acting in ways that actively benefit others. For a Medication Aide, this means promoting residents' health and welfare through safe, compassionate, and competent medication administration. Avoiding harm is nonmaleficence, equal treatment reflects justice, and honoring decisions reflects autonomy.

A Medication Aide realizes mid-shift that they administered the correct medication to the wrong resident thirty minutes ago. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?

Answer: Notify the charge nurse immediately, document the error accurately, and complete an incident report

Medication errors must be reported immediately to the charge nurse so the affected resident can be assessed and any necessary intervention can occur. Accurate documentation and an incident report are required by law and facility policy. Concealing errors or delaying notification endangers the resident and constitutes an ethical and potentially legal violation.

Which of the following BEST describes the ethical principle of 'justice' as it applies to a Medication Aide's daily practice?

Answer: Distributing care and medication administration fairly and without discrimination to all residents

Justice in healthcare ethics means providing equitable care to all individuals without discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability, or other characteristics. A Medication Aide must administer medications and deliver care consistently and fairly to every resident under their care.