CFN Ethical and Professional Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A forensic nurse is subpoenaed to testify in court about a patient's injuries. Which ethical principle primarily guides the nurse's obligation to provide truthful testimony?
- Beneficence
- Veracity (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
- Justice
Correct answer: Veracity
Veracity, the duty to tell the truth, obligates forensic nurses to provide honest and accurate testimony even when it may be uncomfortable.
Question 2: A forensic nurse examiner discovers that a colleague falsified documentation in a sexual assault case. What is the nurse's MOST appropriate first action?
- Confront the colleague privately and ask them to correct the record
- Report the misconduct to the appropriate supervisor or ethics board (Correct answer)
- Ignore it to preserve workplace relationships
- Testify against the colleague without reporting internally first
Correct answer: Report the misconduct to the appropriate supervisor or ethics board
Professional accountability requires reporting misconduct through proper channels to protect patients, the integrity of evidence, and the nursing profession.
Question 3: When conducting a forensic examination of a minor sexual assault victim, parental consent cannot be obtained. Under which circumstance may the exam proceed without parental consent?
- When the nurse believes it is in the child's best interest
- When the perpetrator is a non-family member
- When mandated reporting laws override consent requirements in an emergency (Correct answer)
- When the child verbally agrees to the exam
Correct answer: When mandated reporting laws override consent requirements in an emergency
Mandated reporting statutes and emergency exceptions can legally authorize medical examination of minors when parental consent is unavailable and the child's welfare is at risk.
Question 4: A forensic nurse is asked by law enforcement to release a patient's medical records immediately after an assault. What should the nurse do?
- Release the records immediately to support the investigation
- Obtain written patient authorization or a valid court order before releasing records (Correct answer)
- Call the hospital attorney before speaking to the officer
- Provide verbal information only to avoid documentation issues
Correct answer: Obtain written patient authorization or a valid court order before releasing records
HIPAA requires patient authorization or a valid legal process such as a court order or subpoena before releasing protected health information to law enforcement.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the role of a forensic nurse when acting as an expert witness?
- Advocate for the prosecution to ensure justice for victims
- Provide objective, evidence-based opinion within the nurse's scope of expertise (Correct answer)
- Support the side that retained them and present their case favorably
- Decline to offer opinions and only report documented findings
Correct answer: Provide objective, evidence-based opinion within the nurse's scope of expertise
An expert witness must remain objective and base testimony on professional knowledge and evidence, not on who retained them.
Question 6: A forensic nurse suspects a hospitalized elder is being financially exploited by a family member. Which action reflects the nurse's ethical and legal obligation?
- Document suspicions in the chart and monitor the situation
- Confront the family member directly during the next visit
- Report the suspicion to adult protective services per mandatory reporting laws (Correct answer)
- Notify the patient's primary physician and defer to their judgment
Correct answer: Report the suspicion to adult protective services per mandatory reporting laws
Mandatory reporting laws in all US states require healthcare workers to report suspected elder abuse, including financial exploitation, to adult protective services.
Question 7: The principle of 'do no harm' as applied to forensic nursing MOST directly cautions against which of the following?
- Releasing findings to law enforcement without consent
- Performing a thorough physical exam on an unwilling patient
- Conducting repeated or unnecessary forensic examinations that cause additional trauma (Correct answer)
- Photographing injuries without explaining the purpose to the patient
Correct answer: Conducting repeated or unnecessary forensic examinations that cause additional trauma
Non-maleficence in forensic nursing includes avoiding re-traumatization through unnecessary or repeated examinations that do not add clinical or forensic value.
CFN Ethical and Professional Practice 2
A forensic nurse is subpoenaed to testify in court about a patient's injuries.
Which ethical principle primarily guides the nurse's obligation to provide truthful testimony?