Who is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies regarding the management and operation of the nursing facility?

• A. Medical Director
• B. Governing Board
• C. Nursing Supervisor
• D. State Health Authority

Answer: (B)

Policy-making and oversight for how a nursing facility is run rests with the governing board. They hold the legal responsibility to establish the facility’s policies, mission, and overall direction, and to ensure those policies are put into practice by the administration. This includes deciding on quality standards, governance, finances, staffing, and compliance with laws. The Medical Director handles clinical care and medical policy within those policies, but does not set the facility’s entire operation. The Nursing Supervisor oversees nursing staff and day-to-day patient care, not the broad policy framework. The State Health Authority creates and enforces outside regulations and inspections, but internal policies come from the facility’s governing body.