Role and Permitted Duties Flashcards

A medication aide is asked to crush a tablet that is labeled 'extended-release.' What is the correct action?

Answer: Refuse and notify the nurse

Extended-release tablets must never be crushed as this destroys the release mechanism and can cause dangerous overdose; a nurse must be notified.

Which of the following tasks is within the medication aide's scope of practice?

Answer: Adjusting an insulin dose based on a sliding scale under nurse direction

Administering insulin per a nurse-directed sliding scale protocol is a permitted medication aide task in many states.

A resident refuses their morning medication. What should the medication aide do first?

Answer: Notify the charge nurse immediately

Medication refusals must be reported to the supervising nurse promptly so clinical decisions can be made.

Which action by a medication aide violates professional boundaries?

Answer: Recommending a resident request a different medication from the doctor

Recommending specific medications to residents or influencing prescribing decisions is outside the medication aide's scope of practice.

State regulations for medication aides primarily serve to:

Answer: Protect residents by defining safe boundaries of practice

Scope-of-practice regulations exist to protect resident safety by clearly defining what medication aides may and may not do.

A medication aide notices a medication cup with a resident's name has been sitting unused for 30 minutes. What should the aide do?

Answer: Notify the nurse to determine next steps

An aide should notify the nurse when medications have not been administered on schedule so the nurse can assess the resident and determine appropriate action.

Under which circumstance may a medication aide legally prepare injectable medications?

Answer: Never, as injections are universally outside medication aide scope

Preparing and administering injections is outside the scope of practice for medication aides in virtually all states.