Healthcare Chaplaincy Ethics 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 Healthcare Chaplaincy Ethics flashcards as text
A patient asks the chaplain to keep a secret before disclosing that they plan to refuse a blood transfusion for religious reasons. What is the chaplain's best response?
Answer: Decline to make a blanket promise before hearing the disclosure
Chaplains should not promise unconditional confidentiality before knowing the content of a disclosure, as some information may require action.
Which ethical principle is most directly invoked when a chaplain ensures a non-English-speaking patient has an interpreter for spiritual care conversations?
Answer: Justice
Justice requires equitable access to care, including spiritual care services, regardless of language.
A chaplain discovers that a colleague has been sharing patient prayer requests in a staff prayer group without patient consent. The chaplain should first:
Answer: Address the concern with the colleague and, if unresolved, escalate to supervisory channels
Ethical peer accountability begins with direct collegial conversation before escalating to formal reporting.
In the ethical framework of principlism, which principle most directly addresses a patient's right to make their own healthcare decisions?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the principle that upholds each person's right to self-determination in healthcare decisions.
A chaplain is asked by an administrator to report which patients are refusing treatment for religious reasons. The chaplain should:
Answer: Provide aggregate trends but not identify individual patients without consent
Chaplains can share de-identified systemic information but must protect individual patient confidentiality.
When a dying patient expresses guilt about past actions and asks the chaplain for absolution, a chaplain from a different tradition should:
Answer: Acknowledge the spiritual need and facilitate connection with an appropriate clergy person if desired
Chaplains honor spiritual needs within their scope by facilitating appropriate resources rather than performing rites outside their tradition.
A family member demands the chaplain not tell the patient about the patient's terminal diagnosis because 'it will crush them.' The chaplain's ethical obligation is to:
Answer: Reinforce the patient's right to information while exploring family concerns with the care team
Patient autonomy and truth-telling take precedence; the chaplain collaborates with the team to navigate family concerns without overriding patient rights.