Ethical Practices & Professional Conduct Flashcards

A chaplain is called to support a patient who is a member of the same religious congregation. What ethical concern does this create?

Answer: It creates a potential dual relationship that may compromise professional boundaries

Pre-existing personal relationships create dual-relationship risks that can blur professional boundaries and compromise objectivity.

Which of the following best illustrates the ethical principle of 'do no harm' (nonmaleficence) in chaplaincy practice?

Answer: Refraining from imposing spiritual practices on patients who have not requested them

Imposing unwanted spiritual practices can cause spiritual or emotional harm, so nonmaleficence requires waiting for patient invitation or consent.

A chaplain working in a correctional facility is asked by security staff to gather information about an inmate's religious activities for surveillance purposes. The chaplain should:

Answer: Refuse and explain that pastoral confidentiality prohibits this use

Using pastoral relationships for surveillance violates confidentiality and the trust fundamental to chaplaincy, even in correctional settings.

A chaplain notices signs of depression in a patient but is not a licensed mental health provider. The ethical response is to:

Answer: Offer supportive presence and refer to mental health professionals

Chaplains must recognize the limits of their role and facilitate referrals to licensed clinicians while providing compassionate presence.

When documenting spiritual care in a medical record, a chaplain should:

Answer: Document only clinically relevant spiritual care observations using professional language

Chaplains document clinically relevant spiritual care observations professionally while respecting the confidential nature of pastoral conversations.

A chaplain is approached by a media reporter requesting information about a high-profile patient's spiritual condition. The chaplain must:

Answer: Refer the reporter to the hospital's public relations department and say nothing more

HIPAA and professional ethics prohibit sharing any patient information with media; the chaplain should redirect to public relations and disclose nothing.

Which situation best represents an appropriate use of self-disclosure by a chaplain?

Answer: Briefly mentioning a personal experience of loss to normalize a patient's grief, when therapeutically appropriate

Therapeutic self-disclosure is brief, intentional, and serves the patient's needs rather than the chaplain's, used only when clinically appropriate.