Certified Lactation Specialist Informed Consent Process 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scenario represents a violation of the informed consent process in lactation care?
- Explaining risks of nipple shields before use
- Beginning a breast examination without discussing its purpose (Correct answer)
- Offering the mother time to ask questions
- Providing written materials in the client's language
Correct answer: Beginning a breast examination without discussing its purpose
Starting a physical examination without explaining its purpose and obtaining agreement violates informed consent.
Question 2: A new mother is in pain and distressed postpartum. A lactation consultant wants to begin assessment immediately. What should happen first?
- Proceed quickly to relieve distress before consent causes delay
- Briefly explain the assessment and obtain consent even in urgent non-emergency situations (Correct answer)
- Get consent only from the nursing staff
- Defer consent until the mother's pain is managed
Correct answer: Briefly explain the assessment and obtain consent even in urgent non-emergency situations
Even in stressful, non-emergency situations, consent must be obtained before proceeding with assessment.
Question 3: What term describes the ethical principle that patients have the right to make decisions about their own health care without coercion?
- Beneficence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Nonmaleficence
- Justice
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the principle that individuals have the right to make informed, voluntary decisions about their own bodies and care.
Question 4: A lactation consultant is employed by a hospital that requires clients to sign a general consent form on admission. Does this eliminate the need for specific consent for lactation procedures?
- Yes, the general consent covers all inpatient services
- No, specific procedures and interventions still require their own disclosure and agreement (Correct answer)
- Only invasive procedures need additional consent
- It depends on the state's scope of practice regulations
Correct answer: No, specific procedures and interventions still require their own disclosure and agreement
General admission consent forms do not substitute for procedure-specific informed consent discussions.
Question 5: An adolescent mother, aged 16, seeks lactation support independently. Who has authority to provide informed consent for her lactation care?
- Only her parent or legal guardian
- Her partner if they are an adult
- The minor herself, as she is the legal parent of her infant (Correct answer)
- The hospital social worker
Correct answer: The minor herself, as she is the legal parent of her infant
In most US states, a minor who is the parent of a child has legal authority to consent to health care for themselves related to that parental role.
Question 6: A lactation consultant recommends donor milk supplementation. Which aspect of informed consent is MOST critical to cover?
- Cost of donor milk banking
- Risks, benefits, alternatives to donor milk, and the mother's right to decline (Correct answer)
- Availability of donor milk in the hospital
- Nutritional comparison charts between formula and donor milk
Correct answer: Risks, benefits, alternatives to donor milk, and the mother's right to decline
Informed consent requires covering risks, benefits, and alternatives so the client can make an autonomous decision.
Question 7: What does 'therapeutic privilege' refer to in the context of informed consent, and is it generally acceptable?
- The right of a provider to decide treatment without consent; generally acceptable
- Withholding information to prevent patient distress; generally NOT acceptable (Correct answer)
- Sharing confidential information with family; acceptable in emergencies
- Overriding refusal for life-saving treatment; acceptable in all situations
Correct answer: Withholding information to prevent patient distress; generally NOT acceptable
Therapeutic privilege — withholding information to avoid upsetting the patient — is ethically and legally problematic and generally not accepted.
Certified Lactation Specialist Informed Consent Process 3
Which scenario represents a violation of the informed consent process in lactation care?