Professional Accountability and Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real CNOR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Accountability and Ethics flashcards as text
Under which circumstance is it ethically permissible for a perioperative nurse to share a patient's health information without consent?
Answer: When required by mandatory reporting laws such as gunshot wounds or communicable diseases
Mandatory reporting laws legally require disclosure of specific conditions (e.g., gunshot wounds, reportable diseases) without patient consent.
A perioperative nurse identifies a gap between current practice and AORN evidence-based guidelines. The BEST professional response is to:
Answer: Bring the gap to the attention of the manager and recommend a practice improvement plan
Professional accountability includes identifying practice gaps and advocating for evidence-based improvements through formal channels.
The ethical principle of JUSTICE in perioperative nursing MOST directly relates to:
Answer: Ensuring all patients receive equal, fair access to care and resources
Justice requires fair distribution of care and resources without discrimination based on personal characteristics.
A nurse is asked to circulate a procedure they have not been trained to perform. The nurse's ethical obligation is to:
Answer: Decline and inform the charge nurse, stating the lack of training
Nurses are professionally and legally accountable for practicing within their competence level and must decline assignments beyond their training.
Which action is an example of the perioperative nurse fulfilling the advocacy role?
Answer: Speaking up when the patient's surgical site mark does not match the consent form
Patient advocacy requires the nurse to halt proceedings and clarify discrepancies that could result in wrong-site surgery.
What does the term 'scope of practice' define for the perioperative RN?
Answer: The range of activities, skills, and responsibilities a nurse is legally and professionally authorized to perform
Scope of practice is defined by state nursing practice acts and outlines the legal boundaries of a nurse's professional role.
A surgeon asks the perioperative nurse to sign off on a surgical count that the nurse did not personally perform. The nurse should:
Answer: Refuse to sign and explain that falsifying records is an ethical and legal violation
Signing documentation you did not perform is falsification of records, which is both an ethical breach and a legal violation.