CNA Certification (Written Exam)Resident Rights and Legal/EthicalMedium
A nurse aide sees a coworker yank a resident's arm roughly while transferring them and hears the resident cry out in pain. The coworker tells the aide, 'Don't worry about it, it's fine.' What is the aide's legal responsibility?
- ASpeak privately with the coworker and let it go if they apologize
- BWait to see if the resident develops a bruise before reporting
- CReport the incident immediately to the supervisor or nurse
- DSay nothing since it is not the aide's job to police coworkers
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Report the incident immediately to the supervisor or nurse
Nurse aides are mandated reporters and are legally and ethically required to report any suspected abuse immediately to a supervisor, regardless of the coworker's reassurance. Failing to report can result in loss of certification and legal liability.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Handling it informally does not fulfill the legal duty to report.
- B. Waiting for visible injury delays protection and violates reporting duty.
- D. All staff, including aides, are mandated reporters of suspected abuse.
Mandatory Reporting of Abuse
Nurse aides are legally required to report any suspected or witnessed abuse, neglect, or mistreatment immediately to a supervisor or appropriate authority.
- Applies even if the abuser asks you to stay quiet
- Failure to report can result in loss of certification
- Report suspicion, not just confirmed injury
Memory trick: 'See it, report it' — silence is a violation.