NHI Professional Ethics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A healthcare professional accidentally makes a medication error. The most ethical action is to:
- Say nothing if the patient seems fine
- Report the error immediately according to facility protocol (Correct answer)
- Ask a coworker to cover for the mistake
- Document the correct medication instead
Correct answer: Report the error immediately according to facility protocol
Immediate reporting of medication errors is essential for patient safety and is an ethical obligation.
Question 2: Which of the following actions violates the principle of patient autonomy?
- Providing complete information before a procedure
- Proceeding with treatment against a competent patient's wishes (Correct answer)
- Offering treatment alternatives
- Explaining risks and benefits of a procedure
Correct answer: Proceeding with treatment against a competent patient's wishes
Performing treatment without a competent patient's consent violates their right to make decisions about their own care.
Question 3: What does 'fidelity' mean as a principle of healthcare ethics?
- Telling patients only positive news
- Keeping promises and fulfilling commitments to patients (Correct answer)
- Treating all patients identically
- Reporting unethical colleagues
Correct answer: Keeping promises and fulfilling commitments to patients
Fidelity involves keeping promises and maintaining loyalty to professional commitments made to patients.
Question 4: A patient with limited English asks a question. No interpreter is available. What should the healthcare professional do?
- Use a family member as an interpreter immediately
- Use simple gestures and guess the patient's needs
- Access a qualified medical interpreter service (Correct answer)
- Skip the conversation until an interpreter is available tomorrow
Correct answer: Access a qualified medical interpreter service
Using a qualified medical interpreter service ensures accurate communication and protects patient rights.
Question 5: An employee witnesses a supervisor engaging in discriminatory behavior toward a patient. What is the ethical response?
- Remain silent to protect their job
- Join the supervisor in the behavior
- Document and report the incident through appropriate channels (Correct answer)
- Discuss the incident only with close coworkers
Correct answer: Document and report the incident through appropriate channels
Reporting discriminatory behavior protects patients and upholds the ethical duty to advocate for patient dignity.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'informed consent'?
- A patient signing any form before treatment
- A patient agreeing to treatment after receiving complete and understandable information (Correct answer)
- A physician deciding what information a patient needs
- Verbal agreement without documentation
Correct answer: A patient agreeing to treatment after receiving complete and understandable information
Informed consent requires that patients receive and understand all relevant information before agreeing to a procedure or treatment.
Question 7: Healthcare professionals are ethically obligated to maintain competency in their field by:
- Relying solely on initial training
- Pursuing continuing education and staying current with best practices (Correct answer)
- Asking colleagues for guidance on all tasks
- Requesting patient feedback after every encounter
Correct answer: Pursuing continuing education and staying current with best practices
Ongoing education and professional development are ethical obligations to ensure safe and effective patient care.
NHI Professional Ethics 4
A healthcare professional accidentally makes a medication error.
The most ethical action is to: