MHA Professionalism and Ethics 4 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: An administrator learns that a nurse is being pressured by a supervisor to falsify documentation to improve quality metrics. The administrator's obligation under whistleblower protection frameworks is to:
- Ignore it unless a patient complaint is filed
- Investigate and protect the nurse from retaliation for raising the concern (Correct answer)
- Report only if the falsification has already caused patient harm
- Refer the matter solely to the nursing department to resolve internally
Correct answer: Investigate and protect the nurse from retaliation for raising the concern
Whistleblower protection laws and ethical obligations require administrators to investigate documentation falsification and shield those who report misconduct from retaliation.
Question 2: Surrogate decision-making for an incapacitated patient is guided primarily by the standard of:
- Best interest of the treating physician
- Substituted judgmentâwhat the patient would have wanted (Correct answer)
- Financial impact on the patient's family
- Clinical consensus of the care team only
Correct answer: Substituted judgmentâwhat the patient would have wanted
Substituted judgment asks surrogates to decide as the patient would have decided, based on the patient's known values and prior expressed wishes.
Question 3: Which scenario BEST illustrates the ethical principle of nonmaleficence in healthcare administration?
- Expanding services to reach underserved communities
- Discontinuing a vendor contract because the vendor's product caused patient harm (Correct answer)
- Obtaining patient consent before elective surgery
- Allocating transplant organs based on medical urgency
Correct answer: Discontinuing a vendor contract because the vendor's product caused patient harm
Nonmaleficenceâ'do no harm'âis illustrated by terminating relationships with vendors whose products cause patient harm.
Question 4: A hospital administrator discovers the organization's informed consent process is not meeting legal or ethical standards. The MOST appropriate corrective action is to:
- Document the deficiency and defer correction to the next accreditation cycle
- Immediately convene a multidisciplinary task force to redesign and implement an improved process (Correct answer)
- Notify only the risk management department and take no further action
- Reduce the number of procedures requiring informed consent to simplify operations
Correct answer: Immediately convene a multidisciplinary task force to redesign and implement an improved process
An inadequate informed consent process requires prompt, systematic remediation through a multidisciplinary team to protect patient rights and reduce legal liability.
Question 5: The primary purpose of a healthcare organization's code of ethics is to:
- Replace government regulations with internal standards
- Provide a framework guiding the conduct and decision-making of all staff (Correct answer)
- Protect the organization from malpractice liability
- Define clinical protocols for patient care
Correct answer: Provide a framework guiding the conduct and decision-making of all staff
A code of ethics establishes shared values and behavioral expectations that guide all staff in ethical decision-making and professional conduct.
Question 6: When a healthcare administrator identifies a potential HIPAA breach, federal regulations require notification to affected individuals within:
- 7 days of discovery
- 30 days of discovery
- 60 days of discovery (Correct answer)
- 1 year of discovery
Correct answer: 60 days of discovery
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires covered entities to notify affected individuals within 60 days of discovering a breach.
Question 7: A healthcare administrator who consistently prioritizes the long-term wellbeing of the community over short-term financial gains is demonstrating:
- Stewardship (Correct answer)
- Revenue cycle management
- Risk aversion
- Regulatory compliance
Correct answer: Stewardship
Stewardship in healthcare administration means responsibly managing resources and decisions with the long-term wellbeing of patients and communities as the priority.
MHA Professionalism and Ethics 4
An administrator learns that a nurse is being pressured by a supervisor to falsify documentation to improve quality metrics.
The administrator's obligation under whistleblower protection frameworks is to: