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
The term 'notifiable safety incident' in the context of the NMC duty of candour refers to:
Answer: An unintended or unexpected incident that could result in or has resulted in harm to a patient
A notifiable safety incident is an unintended or unexpected event during care that has harmed or had the potential to harm a patient.
A midwife fails to detect signs of fetal distress, resulting in an emergency caesarean section. After the birth, the parents ask if everything was done correctly. The midwife should:
Answer: Acknowledge what occurred, apologize, explain the sequence of events honestly, and outline support available
The midwife must be open about what happened, offer a sincere apology, and explain what support and follow-up the family can expect.
Reflective practice following a patient safety incident supports the duty of candour primarily because it:
Answer: Helps nurses understand what went wrong and identify improvements to prevent recurrence
Reflection helps nurses learn from incidents, which is central to the candour principle of taking steps to prevent recurrence and improve patient safety.
Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between duty of candour and whistleblowing?
Answer: Duty of candour focuses on disclosure to affected patients; whistleblowing addresses systemic concerns to regulators or the public
Duty of candour is about being open with patients when things go wrong, while whistleblowing involves raising broader systemic or organizational safety concerns.
A charge nurse instructs a staff nurse NOT to apologize to a patient because 'it implies the hospital is at fault.' The staff nurse should know that:
Answer: An apology under the duty of candour is not an admission of legal liability and must be given
Under the duty of candour framework, an apology is a professional and moral obligation and is not a legal admission of fault or liability.
The NMC may take fitness to practise action against a nurse who fails to fulfill the duty of candour. This is because failure to be candid is considered:
Answer: A breach of the NMC Code that undermines public trust in the profession
Failing to be open and honest with patients breaches the NMC Code and can constitute a fitness to practise concern that the NMC will investigate.
Which of the following actions demonstrates a nurse fulfilling the duty of candour in a person-centered way?
Answer: Using clear, jargon-free language and checking the patient's understanding before and after the disclosure conversation
Person-centered candour involves clear, empathetic communication tailored to the patient's understanding, not reliance on written materials or delayed impersonal notification.