NMC - Nursing Midwifery Council Professional Accountability and Delegation Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the principle of professional accountability as defined by the NMC Code?

Accepted Answer

A nurse is answerable for their own actions and omissions, and cannot blame others for their professional judgements.

Answer

The NMC Code explicitly states that registered professionals are accountable for their own actions and omissions. This means they are answerable for their decisions and cannot defer this responsibility to others, regardless of advice or direction. Accountability is a personal, professional responsibility that cannot be delegated. While employers have responsibilities, the individual practitioner remains accountable for their practice.

Question 2

A registered nurse on a busy surgical ward needs to delegate a task to a competent and experienced Healthcare Assistant (HCA). Which of the following tasks is most appropriate to delegate?

Accepted Answer

Assisting a stable, post-operative patient with their personal hygiene.

Answer

Assisting a stable patient with personal hygiene falls within the typical scope of practice for a competent HCA. The other tasks require the clinical judgement, specific registration, and assessment skills of a registered nurse. Initial assessment, care planning, medication administration (especially IV), and evaluation are not delegable to HCAs.

Question 3

A newly qualified nurse administers a medication and later realises they gave the wrong dose. The patient is stable and shows no adverse effects. According to the principle of professional accountability and the duty of candour, what is the nurse's immediate priority?

Accepted Answer

Immediately reporting the error to the nurse in charge and completing an incident form.

Answer

The professional duty of candour requires nurses to be open and honest with patients and their organisation when things go wrong. The nurse's first priority is to ensure patient safety and then report the incident transparently to the nurse in charge and document it via an incident form. This upholds accountability and allows for organisational learning. Waiting, falsifying records, or simply handing over care without reporting are all breaches of professional accountability.

Question 4

A registered nurse (RN) is delegating the task of measuring and recording a patient's fluid balance to a Nursing Associate (NA). Which statement best describes the RN's accountability in this situation?

Accepted Answer

The RN remains accountable for the decision to delegate and for the overall management and evaluation of the patient's care.

Answer

While the NA is accountable for their own actions in performing the task safely, the RN who delegates retains accountability for the decision to delegate in the first place. The RN must be satisfied that the NA is competent and, most importantly, the RN remains accountable for the overall plan of care, which includes evaluating the outcomes of the delegated task. Supervision should be appropriate to the situation, not necessarily direct observation every time.

Question 5

A healthcare assistant (HCA) is asked by a registered nurse to change a complex surgical dressing, a task for which they have not been trained. The HCA feels it is outside their level of competence. What is the HCA's most accountable action?

Accepted Answer

Politely decline the task and clearly explain that they are not trained or competent to perform it.

Answer

Every healthcare professional, including HCAs, is accountable for working within their own level of competence. The most accountable and safest action is to refuse the task and clearly state the reason. This protects the patient from harm and upholds the HCA's own professional responsibility. Attempting a task beyond one's competence is unsafe.

(NMC) Nursing Midwifery Council Practice Test

(NMC) Nursing Midwifery Council Practice Test

NMC - Nursing Midwifery Council Professional Accountability and Delegation Questions and Answers