Medical Law and Ethics Flashcards
6 cards from real CMT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Medical Law and Ethics flashcards as text
A resident has a signed advance directive that clearly states they do not wish to receive life-sustaining treatment. The resident's family is insisting that the Certified Medical Technician (CMT) administer a medication that is considered life-sustaining. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate action for the CMT to take?
Answer: Refuse to administer the medication and notify the supervising nurse of the conflict.
The CMT's primary legal and ethical obligation is to honor the resident's documented wishes in the advance directive. The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) requires healthcare facilities to recognize advance directives. When a conflict arises between an advance directive and family wishes, the CMT must not administer the medication and must immediately report the situation to the supervising licensed nurse, who can then involve the physician and ethics committee if necessary.
A CMT is preparing to administer medications and notices a fellow CMT discussing a resident's recent diagnosis in a loud voice in the hallway, within earshot of other residents and visitors. This action is a potential violation of which of the following?
Answer: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information. Discussing a resident's private health information in a public area where it can be overheard by unauthorized individuals is a breach of confidentiality and a violation of HIPAA.
Which of the following scenarios best describes medical negligence by a Certified Medical Technician (CMT)?
Answer: The CMT administers a medication from a container with a torn, illegible label, resulting in the resident receiving the wrong dose.
Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider fails to act within the accepted standard of care, resulting in harm to a patient. Administering a medication from a container with an illegible label is a breach of the standard of care and one of the 'Five Rights' of medication administration (Right Medication, Right Dose). This action directly led to patient harm (wrong dose), fulfilling the criteria for negligence.
A resident who is alert and oriented refuses to take their prescribed blood pressure medication. What is the CMT's primary ethical and legal responsibility?
Answer: To inform the resident of the potential risks of not taking the medication and document the refusal.
Competent adults have the right to make decisions about their own healthcare, which includes the right to refuse treatment or medication. This is a core component of patient autonomy and informed consent. The CMT's responsibility is to ensure the resident is informed, respect their decision, and properly document the refusal before notifying the supervising nurse.
The legal principle of 'scope of practice' is best defined as:
Answer: The range of duties and procedures a healthcare professional is allowed to perform under their professional license or certification.
Scope of practice defines the procedures, actions, and processes that a healthcare professional is permitted to undertake in keeping with the terms of their professional license or certification. For a CMT, this would include tasks like administering non-parenteral medications but would exclude actions like making a diagnosis or adjusting medication dosages.
A CMT makes a medication error by giving a resident the wrong medication. After ensuring the resident is safe and reporting the error to the supervising nurse, what is the next critical ethical and legal step?
Answer: Completing a detailed and factual incident report according to facility policy.
Ethical and legal standards require accurate and truthful documentation. After a medication error, once the patient is stable and the nurse is notified, the CMT must document the error objectively and factually in an incident report. This documentation is crucial for patient safety, quality assurance, and risk management. Altering records or failing to report is unethical, illegal, and places the resident at further risk.