General CNA Practice Patient Rights and Ethics Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident with dementia becomes agitated and calls you by the name of their deceased spouse. Which of the following actions best demonstrates respect for the resident's rights and dignity?
- Correcting the resident by stating your name and role.
- Playing along and pretending to be their spouse to calm them.
- Ignoring the comment and focusing on the immediate task.
- Responding calmly and reassuringly without correcting them, then redirecting their attention. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Responding calmly and reassuringly without correcting them, then redirecting their attention.
This approach, often called validation therapy, acknowledges the resident's reality without lying or causing further distress. It is a respectful and effective way to manage dementia-related behaviors, focusing on reassurance and emotional comfort rather than factual accuracy.
Question 2: You overhear a coworker in the breakroom discussing a resident's recent diagnosis with another CNA who is not involved in that resident's care. This action is a violation of which federal law?
- Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (Correct answer)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)
Correct answer: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA's Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information. Discussing a resident's protected health information (PHI) with anyone not directly involved in their care is a clear violation of this law.
Question 3: An alert and oriented resident informs you they do not want to take their scheduled shower today. What is the CNA's most appropriate response?
- Explain that the shower is necessary for their hygiene and proceed.
- Tell them they will have to wait until the next scheduled shower day.
- Respect their decision, document the refusal, and report it to the nurse. (Correct answer)
- Offer to come back in 15 minutes to see if they have changed their mind.
Correct answer: Respect their decision, document the refusal, and report it to the nurse.
Competent residents have the right to refuse care and treatment under the Patient Self-Determination Act and OBRA regulations. The CNA's role is to respect this right, ensure the refusal is properly documented, and communicate the information to the nurse for follow-up.
Question 4: Which of the following scenarios constitutes financial abuse of a resident?
- A family member paying for the resident's stay at the facility.
- Assisting a resident with writing a check to pay a bill.
- Using the resident's personal phone to make a call with their permission.
- Persuading a resident to buy you a gift card while you are helping them shop online. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Persuading a resident to buy you a gift card while you are helping them shop online.
Financial abuse, or exploitation, involves the illegal or improper use of a resident's funds, property, or assets. Persuading a resident to purchase something for the caregiver's benefit is a form of exploitation and a violation of ethical boundaries.
Question 5: The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87) established a set of standards to protect the rights of residents in long-term care facilities. Which of the following is a key provision of OBRA?
- The right to be free from physical and chemical restraints used for discipline or convenience. (Correct answer)
- The requirement for all residents to have a private room.
- The right for staff to manage a resident's finances without consent.
- The mandate that facilities can only be sued in federal court.
Correct answer: The right to be free from physical and chemical restraints used for discipline or convenience.
OBRA '87 specifically protects residents' rights to be free from any physical or chemical restraints imposed for purposes of discipline or convenience and not required to treat the resident's medical symptoms. This is a fundamental right to ensure safety and dignity.
Question 6: While providing care, you notice several new, unexplained bruises on a resident's arms. The resident is withdrawn and does not want to talk about them. As a CNA, you are considered a mandated reporter. What is your immediate legal and ethical responsibility?
- Ask the resident's family if they know the cause of the bruises.
- Document the bruises in your notes and wait to see if more appear.
- Confront the coworker you suspect might be responsible.
- Report your objective findings to the charge nurse immediately. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Report your objective findings to the charge nurse immediately.
As a mandated reporter, CNAs have a legal obligation to report any suspicion of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The correct procedure is to report observations to the charge nurse, who will then initiate the facility's investigation protocol. Reporting should be based on objective facts, not suspicions or confrontations.
General CNA Practice Patient Rights and Ethics Questions and Answers 1
A resident with dementia becomes agitated and calls you by the name of their deceased spouse.
Which of the following actions best demonstrates respect for the resident's rights and dignity?