Which steps should a nurse take when a potential conflict of interest could influence patient care?

• A. Ignore conflicts if they seem minor.
• B. Disclose conflicts, recuse if necessary, document decisions, and seek independent review or ethics consultation.
• C. Discuss only with the patient.
• D. Rely on personal judgment without review.

Answer: (B)

When a potential conflict of interest could influence patient care, the guiding approach is to actively manage the situation to protect patient welfare and trust. The best path is to disclose the conflict to the appropriate parties, recuse from involvement if the bias could affect decisions, document the decisions and rationale, and seek independent review or ethics consultation to obtain an objective assessment.

Disclosing the conflict upfront ensures transparency and allows others to evaluate whether the conflict might affect judgment. Recusal is appropriate when the conflict could reasonably bias care decisions, removing the personal influence from the patient’s treatment. Documentation creates a clear record of what happened, who was informed, and how decisions were made, which supports accountability. Finally, bringing in an independent reviewer or an ethics consultant provides an outside perspective to help align actions with professional standards and organizational policies, reducing the risk of compromised care.

Why the other approaches fall short: ignoring the conflict neglects a professional duty to manage biases that could harm patients. discussing the issue only with the patient might address the patient’s autonomy but leaves the broader care process unmonitored and may fail to prevent biased decisions. relying solely on personal judgment without a review process ignores the possibility of unconscious bias and violates the obligation to seek appropriate oversight in situations that pose conflicts of interest.