NMC - Nursing Midwifery Council Professional Duty of Candour Questions and Answers

Question 1

A nurse administers a patient's morning medication an hour later than prescribed due to a busy ward.
The patient suffers no observable harm.
According to the professional duty of candour, what is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Inform the patient about the delay, explain why it happened, and apologise for the error.

Answer

Record the delay in the patient's notes but do not mention it unless the patient asks.

Answer

Ask a colleague to monitor the patient for adverse effects but say nothing to the patient to avoid causing anxiety.

Answer

Only report the incident to the ward manager as no harm occurred.

Question 2

Which of the following statements best distinguishes the professional duty of candour from the statutory duty of candour?

Accepted Answer

The professional duty applies to individual registrants and is triggered by any harm or distress, while the statutory duty applies to organisations and is triggered by 'notifiable safety incidents' of moderate to severe harm.

Answer

The professional duty applies only to doctors, while the statutory duty applies to nurses and midwives.

Answer

The professional duty is focused on organisational learning, whereas the statutory duty is focused on individual apologies.

Answer

The professional duty is a legal requirement enforced by the CQC, while the statutory duty is an ethical guideline from the NMC.

Question 3

A newly qualified nurse discovers a medication error made by a senior colleague. The senior colleague insists it is a minor issue and that telling the patient will only cause unnecessary distress. What should the newly qualified nurse's primary action be, in line with the duty of candour?

Accepted Answer

Respectfully explain the professional duty to be open and honest and escalate the concern to the nurse in charge if the colleague refuses to act.

Answer

Agree with the senior colleague to avoid confrontation and document the conversation.

Answer

Anonymously report the senior colleague to the NMC.

Answer

Discreetly tell the patient's family about the error without informing the colleague.

Question 4

According to joint NMC and GMC guidance, what is the correct approach to offering an apology to a patient after a care incident?

Accepted Answer

An apology should be offered as soon as possible, and it is not an admission of legal liability.

Answer

An apology should only be given after a full investigation has concluded and liability is established.

Answer

Offering an apology is an admission of legal liability and should therefore be avoided.

Answer

Only the hospital's chief executive is authorised to give an official apology to a patient.

Question 5

A patient experiences a fall while being assisted by a student nurse. A full assessment reveals no injuries. The student is very distressed. As the supervising registered nurse, how do you apply the principles of the professional duty of candour?

Accepted Answer

Explain to the patient what happened in a factual and honest way, apologise for the event, and involve the student in the conversation to support their learning.

Answer

Complete the incident form but tell the patient it was an unavoidable accident to protect the student.

Answer

Tell the patient the student made a mistake and will be disciplined.

Answer

Wait 24 hours to see if any bruising develops before deciding whether to inform the patient about the full details.

Question 6

Which of the following situations would NOT typically trigger the professional duty of candour for a nurse?

Accepted Answer

A patient's condition deteriorates as a result of the natural progression of their illness.

Answer

A delay in administering pain relief causes a patient significant distress.

Answer

A 'near miss' where the wrong medication was prepared but the error was caught before administration.

Answer

A patient's confidential information is accidentally shared with another patient.