Ethical and Legal Responsibilities for Nurse Assistants

Vocabulary flashcards covering ethical decision making, the PLUS model, the CNA code of ethics, and federal standards regarding resident abuse and neglect.

Ethical

Relating to a set of moral principles and values.

Ethical decision making

The process in which you aim to make your decisions in line with a code of ethics by seeking out resources like professional guidelines and organizational policies, while ruling out unethical solutions.

PLUS Model

A set of questions designed to help make ethical decisions based on Policies and Procedures (P), Legal (L), Universal (U), and Self (S).

Step One: Define the Problem

The first step in making ethical decisions, which uses PLUS Model questions to define the problem and assess how it affects company values, policies, or legal regulations.

Step Two: Seek Out Resources

The step in ethical decision making where available resources—such as mentors, coworkers, professional guidelines, and facility policies—are consulted to evaluate the problem objectively.

Step Three: Brainstorm a List of Potential Solutions

The step in ethical decision making that involves staying open to new ideas, encouraging advice from others, and generating multiple potential solutions rather than relying solely on past actions.

Step Four: Evaluate Those Alternatives

The step in ethical decision making that involves examining all positive and negative consequences of potential solutions and weighing how likely those consequences are to occur.

Step Five: Make Your Decision, and Implement It

The step in ethical decision making where a fair choice is executed, utilizing transparent proposals outlining chosen solutions and considered alternatives when sharing with a team.

Step Six: Evaluate Your Decision

The final step in ethical decision making where you determine if the problem was fixed or if alternative measures and outside guidance are needed due to unforeseen consequences.

Ethics

The discipline that addresses what is good and bad and what is moral duty and obligation.

CNA Code of Ethics

A set of guidelines, rules, and standards prescribed by the nursing authority that are obligatory for all CNAs to follow to restore health, ease suffering, preserve life, and maintain professionalism.

Patient Care Duty

The obligation of a nursing assistant to serve all patients equally, work toward improving patient health, and avoid unequal treatment regardless of a patient's religious or ethnic background.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

The branch of the federal government which regulates long-term care facilities.

Surveyors

The group of people who enforce state and federal rules and regulations around long-term care.

Seven-Part Abuse Prevention Policy

A policy mandated by CMS for every long-term care facility that includes staff education required upon hire, during orientation, and at least annually thereafter.

Abuse

Defined under §483.5; includes actions causing physical harm, pain, or mental anguish, as well as corporal punishment, involuntary seclusion, and unrequired physical or chemical restraints.

Verbal Abuse

The use of oral or written threats, derogatory terms, or gestures directed toward a resident.

Mental Abuse

Actions or gestures that cause degradation, humiliation, or mental distress to a resident, including unauthorized recording or distribution of multimedia.