Ethical Practices & Professional Conduct Flashcards
7 cards from real ACC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethical Practices & Professional Conduct flashcards as text
A chaplain discovers that a colleague has been sharing confidential patient information in casual staff conversations. What is the most appropriate first step?
Answer: Confront the colleague privately and explain the ethical violation
Direct collegial conversation addressing the breach privately is typically the appropriate first step before escalating to formal reporting.
Which principle best describes a chaplain's obligation to avoid using their position of spiritual authority to influence a patient's financial or personal decisions?
Answer: Non-exploitation
Non-exploitation prohibits chaplains from leveraging their trusted role for personal gain or to unduly influence vulnerable individuals.
A chaplain is asked by a family to withhold a terminal diagnosis from their elderly parent. How should the chaplain respond?
Answer: Refuse to participate in withholding information and report the situation to the care team
Chaplains support patient autonomy and must collaborate with the care team rather than colluding with information withholding that violates the patient's right to know.
According to professional chaplaincy ethics, which best describes the concept of 'scope of practice'?
Answer: The boundaries defining what tasks and roles a chaplain is trained and authorized to perform
Scope of practice defines the competencies, roles, and limitations within which a chaplain must operate to ensure safe and ethical care.
A chaplain feels strong personal grief when a long-term patient dies. What is the ethically appropriate response?
Answer: Seek peer support or clinical supervision to process the loss
Seeking peer support or supervision allows the chaplain to process personal grief while maintaining professional capacity and self-care obligations.
When a chaplain disagrees with a patient's end-of-life decision that is legally and ethically valid, the chaplain should:
Answer: Withdraw care and refer the patient to another chaplain if unable to support the decision neutrally
If a chaplain cannot support a valid patient decision without imposing personal values, ethical practice requires referral to ensure the patient receives unbiased spiritual care.
Which action by a chaplain would be considered a dual-role conflict?
Answer: Serving as both the chaplain and the primary social worker for the same patient
Occupying two professional roles with the same patient creates a dual-role conflict that compromises objectivity and ethical boundaries.