NHI Professional Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In healthcare, 'justice' as an ethical principle primarily refers to:
- Following laws and regulations
- Fair and equal treatment of all patients (Correct answer)
- Punishing those who violate patient rights
- Distributing workloads evenly among staff
Correct answer: Fair and equal treatment of all patients
Justice in healthcare ethics means treating all patients fairly and equitably regardless of background.
Question 2: A patient revokes their consent in the middle of a procedure. The healthcare professional should:
- Continue to complete the procedure safely
- Stop the procedure and honor the patient's decision (Correct answer)
- Ask a supervisor to override the patient
- Document refusal and continue
Correct answer: Stop the procedure and honor the patient's decision
Patients have the right to withdraw consent at any time, and this decision must be respected.
Question 3: Which document outlines a patient's healthcare wishes if they become unable to communicate?
- HIPAA authorization form
- Advance directive (Correct answer)
- Informed consent form
- Patient bill of rights
Correct answer: Advance directive
An advance directive specifies a patient's healthcare preferences and designates decision-makers in case of incapacity.
Question 4: A healthcare professional feels their personal beliefs conflict with a patient's requested treatment. The ethical response is to:
- Refuse treatment and document the refusal
- Impose personal beliefs on the patient
- Provide care objectively or arrange for another provider (Correct answer)
- Discuss beliefs with the patient to change their mind
Correct answer: Provide care objectively or arrange for another provider
Healthcare professionals must set aside personal beliefs or ensure the patient's care is transferred to another qualified provider.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a professional code of ethics in healthcare?
- To increase employee salaries
- To guide professional behavior and decision-making (Correct answer)
- To replace state licensing requirements
- To outline billing procedures
Correct answer: To guide professional behavior and decision-making
A professional code of ethics provides a framework of standards to guide conduct and ethical decision-making.
Question 6: Which scenario best illustrates a breach of professional boundaries?
- Explaining a procedure to a nervous patient
- Sharing personal contact information with a patient for social purposes (Correct answer)
- Referring a patient to a specialist
- Charting patient information accurately
Correct answer: Sharing personal contact information with a patient for social purposes
Sharing personal contact information with patients for social purposes blurs the professional relationship boundary.
Question 7: When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, who typically has the authority to make healthcare decisions?
- The treating nurse
- A legally designated surrogate or guardian (Correct answer)
- The hospital administrator
- Any immediate family member present
Correct answer: A legally designated surrogate or guardian
A legally designated surrogate or guardian has authority to make healthcare decisions for incapacitated patients.
NHI Professional Ethics 3
In healthcare, 'justice' as an ethical principle primarily refers to: