Charting a Task That Was Never Done: Falsification of Records

Legal & Ethical Issues · Question from the ATI RN Leadership 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answer: Falsification

Why this is the answer

Documenting care that was not provided is a serious ethical and legal breach known as falsification of records.

The bigger concept

Falsification of records is charting something that did not happen — a task never done, a vital sign never taken, or care documented before it is performed. It is treated separately from negligence because it is intentional dishonesty rather than a failure of care, and it can cost a license even when the patient is never harmed. The rule is simple: document only what you did, when you did it, and correct errors with a single line, date, initials, and a late-entry note — never by erasing or charting ahead. This concept appears twice in the 21-question bank (once phrased as charting care 'before it is actually performed'); both items have the same answer.

Related Legal & Ethical Issues practice questions

• Unjustified Restraint: False Imprisonment
• Threatening to Sedate a Disruptive Patient: Assault
• Giving a Medication the Patient Refused: Battery
• Written Statement That Ruins a Reputation: Libel vs. Slander
• Pressure Injury From Failing to Turn a Patient: Malpractice

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