Professional Duty of Candour Flashcards
7 cards from real NMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Duty of Candour flashcards as text
Under the NMC duty of candour, what must a nurse do FIRST when a patient safety incident occurs?
Answer: Inform the patient or their representative as soon as practicable
The NMC requires nurses to inform the patient or their representative as soon as practicable after recognizing a notifiable safety incident.
A nurse accidentally administers the wrong dose of a medication but the patient appears unharmed. What should the nurse do?
Answer: Tell the patient what happened, apologize, and follow incident reporting procedures
Even when no harm is immediately apparent, the NMC duty of candour requires disclosure, an apology, and incident reporting.
Which NMC document explicitly outlines the professional duty of candour for nurses and midwives?
Answer: The NMC Code (2015, updated 2018)
The NMC Code sets out the professional duty of candour as a binding standard for all registered nurses and midwives.
An apology given as part of the duty of candour is best described as:
Answer: A sincere expression of sorrow or regret that does not constitute an admission of liability
Under the duty of candour framework, an apology is an expression of regret and empathy, not a legal admission of liability.
What is the PRIMARY purpose of the professional duty of candour according to the NMC?
Answer: To maintain trust between healthcare professionals and the public
The duty of candour exists to uphold trust between healthcare professionals and the public by fostering openness when things go wrong.
A midwife makes an error during labor that causes a baby to require additional monitoring. The parents ask directly what happened. The midwife should:
Answer: Be open and honest about what occurred, offer an apology, and explain next steps
Being open and honest with the patient or family, offering an apology, and describing what is being done next fulfills the duty of candour.
When is a nurse's personal duty of candour activated?
Answer: Whenever the nurse recognizes that something has gone wrong that could or did harm a patient
A nurse's professional duty of candour is activated the moment they recognize that a patient safety incident has occurred or may have caused harm.