MACE Role and Authorized Duties 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident refuses their scheduled medication. What is the medication aide's FIRST action?
- Crush the medication and mix it into food without telling the resident
- Document the refusal and notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Administer the medication anyway to ensure the resident's health
- Skip documenting the refusal if the medication is non-essential
Correct answer: Document the refusal and notify the nurse
Medication aides must document refusals and promptly notify the supervising nurse, who will determine next steps.
Question 2: Which of the following is OUTSIDE the scope of practice for a medication aide?
- Documenting medications given
- Administering oral medications
- Inserting a nasogastric (NG) tube to deliver medication (Correct answer)
- Counting controlled substances with the nurse
Correct answer: Inserting a nasogastric (NG) tube to deliver medication
Inserting NG tubes is an invasive nursing procedure that medication aides are not authorized to perform.
Question 3: When may a medication aide accept a verbal order for a new medication from a physician?
- Whenever the physician calls during the medication pass
- Only during emergencies when the supervising nurse is unavailable
- Never; medication aides cannot accept verbal orders (Correct answer)
- Only for over-the-counter medications
Correct answer: Never; medication aides cannot accept verbal orders
Medication aides are not authorized to accept verbal or telephone orders from physicians; only licensed nurses can do so.
Question 4: A medication aide notices that two residents have the same last name. What is the safest practice before administering medications?
- Ask nearby staff which resident is which
- Use two resident identifiers, such as name and date of birth (Correct answer)
- Rely on the room number as the sole identifier
- Administer medications based on physical appearance
Correct answer: Use two resident identifiers, such as name and date of birth
Using at least two identifiers (e.g., full name and date of birth) prevents medication errors caused by similar names.
Question 5: Which action demonstrates proper supervision of a medication aide by a licensed nurse?
- The nurse is on the same unit and available to answer questions (Correct answer)
- The nurse reviews the medication cart at the end of the week
- The nurse delegates all medication duties and leaves the facility
- The nurse observes only the first day of the medication aide's employment
Correct answer: The nurse is on the same unit and available to answer questions
Proper supervision requires the licensed nurse to be accessible and available on the unit during the medication aide's duties.
Question 6: A medication aide discovers a medication error made by the previous shift. What should they do?
- Do nothing if the resident appears unaffected
- Report the error immediately to the supervising nurse (Correct answer)
- Document the error in their personal notes only
- Administer an extra dose to compensate for the missed medication
Correct answer: Report the error immediately to the supervising nurse
Any discovered medication error must be reported immediately to the supervising nurse regardless of when it occurred.
Question 7: Under which condition is a medication aide permitted to administer medications to a resident in another certified aide's assigned area?
- Whenever they have extra time during their shift
- Only when directed to do so by the supervising nurse (Correct answer)
- When the resident requests a different aide
- Whenever the other aide is on break
Correct answer: Only when directed to do so by the supervising nurse
A medication aide may assist in another area only when specifically directed by the supervising licensed nurse.
MACE Role and Authorized Duties 2
A resident refuses their scheduled medication.
What is the medication aide's FIRST action?