Which term describes actions or the failure to act that results in unintended injury to a resident?

Which term describes actions or the failure to act that results in unintended injury to a resident?

• A. Abuse
• B. Neglect
• C. Negligence
• D. Incompetence

Answer: (C)

Negligence means not meeting the standard of care, and doing so results in unintended harm to the resident. In the nursing assistant role, this is about either failing to act when care is needed or performing actions carelessly in a way that a reasonable caregiver would not, leading to injury or risk. The key idea is that the harm is unintentional and arises from not upholding the expected level of care outlined in the resident’s plan and safety rules. Abuse would involve intentional harm or exploitation, so it’s different in purpose. Neglect is a failure to provide necessary care or protect a resident from harm, which can cause harm but centers on omission of required care rather than a breach of the standard of care through careless action. Incompetence refers to lacking the skills or ability to perform tasks safely, not to the specific failure to act or act improperly that causes harm.

Negligence means not meeting the standard of care, and doing so results in unintended harm to the resident. In the nursing assistant role, this is about either failing to act when care is needed or performing actions carelessly in a way that a reasonable caregiver would not, leading to injury or risk. The key idea is that the harm is unintentional and arises from not upholding the expected level of care outlined in the resident’s plan and safety rules.

Abuse would involve intentional harm or exploitation, so it’s different in purpose. Neglect is a failure to provide necessary care or protect a resident from harm, which can cause harm but centers on omission of required care rather than a breach of the standard of care through careless action. Incompetence refers to lacking the skills or ability to perform tasks safely, not to the specific failure to act or act improperly that causes harm.