Legal & Ethical Considerations Flashcards
7 cards from real BLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal & Ethical Considerations flashcards as text
A bystander witnesses a cardiac arrest in a public park. Under Good Samaritan laws, which action would most likely REMOVE legal protection?
Answer: Accepting payment from the victim's family afterward
Good Samaritan laws typically protect unpaid volunteers; accepting compensation can void that protection.
Which document specifically authorizes a designated person to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated patient?
Answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare (healthcare proxy) legally designates someone to make medical decisions when the patient cannot.
During a workplace emergency, an unconscious employee has no advance directive on file. What is the correct BLS approach?
Answer: Begin CPR immediately, assuming implied consent
Implied consent applies to unconscious patients who cannot consent; rescuers should begin CPR without delay.
A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form differs from a standard DNR because it:
Answer: Covers a broader range of treatment preferences beyond resuscitation
POLST is a medical order that addresses multiple interventions (CPR, artificial nutrition, hospitalization) beyond just resuscitation.
A nurse performing CPR on a patient discovers a valid DNR bracelet mid-resuscitation. The correct action is to:
Answer: Stop resuscitation efforts immediately
A valid DNR order is a legally binding physician's order; resuscitation must stop once it is identified.
Which ethical principle is MOST directly upheld when a BLS provider honors a patient's valid advance directive refusing CPR?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the patient's right to make their own medical decisions, including refusing treatment through an advance directive.
In most U.S. states, Good Samaritan laws are LEAST likely to protect a rescuer who:
Answer: Acts with gross negligence or willful misconduct
Good Samaritan protections cover honest mistakes but not gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional harm.