GI Professional Ethics & Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A GI patient refuses a recommended colonoscopy due to fear. What is the most ethical response?
- Document refusal and respect the patient's autonomy after providing full information (Correct answer)
- Schedule the procedure anyway since it is medically necessary
- Contact the patient's family to persuade them
- Discharge the patient from care for non-compliance
Correct answer: Document refusal and respect the patient's autonomy after providing full information
Informed refusal must be respected after ensuring the patient understands risks and benefits.
Question 2: When a GI nurse overhears a colleague discussing a patient's IBD diagnosis in the hospital cafeteria, the correct action is to:
- Report the HIPAA breach to a supervisor immediately (Correct answer)
- Ignore it since the information was not recorded
- Join the conversation to gather more clinical context
- Warn the patient that their privacy was violated
Correct answer: Report the HIPAA breach to a supervisor immediately
Discussing identifiable patient information in public areas is a HIPAA violation that must be reported.
Question 3: A patient with cirrhosis asks you not to tell their spouse about their alcohol-related liver disease. You should:
- Honor the patient's confidentiality unless there is imminent danger to others (Correct answer)
- Inform the spouse because family involvement improves outcomes
- Inform the spouse to ensure medication compliance at home
- Refuse to treat the patient until they allow family disclosure
Correct answer: Honor the patient's confidentiality unless there is imminent danger to others
Patient confidentiality is protected by law and can only be breached under specific legal circumstances.
Question 4: A GI patient with limited English proficiency needs an endoscopy explained. The best approach is to:
- Use a qualified medical interpreter to explain the procedure and obtain consent (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient's bilingual family member to interpret
- Use simple English and assume the patient understands
- Proceed without explanation since the procedure is routine
Correct answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter to explain the procedure and obtain consent
Qualified medical interpreters ensure accurate communication and valid informed consent.
Question 5: Which action represents a breach of professional boundaries in GI nursing?
- Sharing your personal phone number with a patient for after-hours contact (Correct answer)
- Educating a patient about their Crohn's disease management
- Documenting a patient's response to bowel preparation
- Reporting abnormal lab values to the physician
Correct answer: Sharing your personal phone number with a patient for after-hours contact
Sharing personal contact information with patients violates professional boundaries and creates inappropriate dual relationships.
Question 6: A GI technician notices a physician performing a procedure with poor sterile technique. The most appropriate action is to:
- Politely speak up immediately to prevent patient harm (Correct answer)
- Document the observation and address it after the procedure
- Ignore it to avoid conflict with the physician
- Report it only if the patient develops an infection later
Correct answer: Politely speak up immediately to prevent patient harm
Patient safety takes priority; speaking up in the moment prevents immediate harm.
Question 7: Informed consent for a GI procedure is considered valid when the patient:
- Voluntarily agrees after receiving full disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives (Correct answer)
- Signs the consent form without asking any questions
- Verbally agrees without written documentation
- Agrees after being told the procedure is mandatory
Correct answer: Voluntarily agrees after receiving full disclosure of risks, benefits, and alternatives
Valid informed consent requires voluntariness, disclosure, comprehension, and competence.
GI Professional Ethics & Communication 2
A GI patient refuses a recommended colonoscopy due to fear.
What is the most ethical response?