Ethical Practices & Professional Conduct Flashcards

A chaplain witnesses a physician verbally belittling a patient about their faith-based treatment refusal. The most appropriate ethical response is to:

Answer: Intervene to support the patient and address the behavior through proper channels afterward

Chaplains are patient advocates and are ethically obligated to support patients being treated disrespectfully and to report concerns through institutional channels.

What does 'informed consent' mean in the context of chaplaincy care?

Answer: Patients have the right to know what chaplaincy is, accept or decline care, and withdraw at any time

Informed consent in chaplaincy means patients understand the nature of chaplaincy care and freely choose to accept, decline, or withdraw from it at any point.

A chaplain is providing care to a dying patient when the patient's estranged family arrives and demands the chaplain leave. The patient wants the chaplain to stay. The chaplain should:

Answer: Stay with the patient based on the patient's expressed wish, as the patient has decision-making capacity

A decisionally capable patient's wishes regarding their spiritual care take precedence over family demands, as patient autonomy is paramount.

Which of the following best describes 'pastoral confidentiality' in professional chaplaincy?

Answer: A professional commitment to privacy that has recognized exceptions such as imminent safety risks

Pastoral confidentiality is a strong but not absolute professional commitment; recognized exceptions include imminent harm, mandatory reporting obligations, and consent by the person.

A chaplain is asked to provide a reference for a colleague seeking employment at another institution and knows the colleague has had undisclosed ethical violations. The chaplain should:

Answer: Decline to provide the reference rather than provide a misleading one

Providing a false or misleading reference violates veracity obligations; declining the reference is the ethical alternative when honest endorsement is not possible.

A chaplain is invited to join a patient's social media to maintain contact after discharge. The ethical response is to:

Answer: Decline and explain that professional boundaries limit personal social media connections with patients

Social media connections with patients blur professional boundaries and can extend the therapeutic relationship inappropriately beyond its proper scope.

The APC (Association of Professional Chaplains) Code of Ethics requires chaplains to engage in which ongoing professional practice?

Answer: Pursuing continuing education and professional development to maintain competence

The APC Code of Ethics mandates ongoing continuing education and professional development as a core ethical obligation to ensure competent practice.