Client Consultation, Communication, and Professional Ethics
What this domain tests
Consultation questions test medical history, contraindications, informed consent, documentation, and professional boundaries. Ethics questions test scope of practice, confidentiality, and honest communication.
Core rules
- Use an intake form that asks about allergies, medications, skin and nail conditions, pregnancy, diabetes, and prior reactions. Ask follow-up questions and record answers.
- Stay in scope: recognize, do not diagnose. Refer suspicious swelling, pain, drainage, dark streaks, or sudden nail changes.
- Obtain informed consent for enhancements and for any service with risk; explain aftercare, cost, and realistic wear time.
- Protect privacy: do not discuss a client’s health or personal information with others, including in casual salon talk.
- Communicate clearly and without judgment; use reflective listening; confirm the client’s goal before starting.
- Document services, products, and any adverse reaction.
Worked example
A client mentions a new blood thinner and wants cuticle nipping. You avoid nipping, use gentle pushing, and note the medication. Reasoning: anticoagulants increase bleeding risk; the service can be adapted without diagnosing or refusing care.
Traps that cost marks
- Telling a client a nail “is fungal” and selling a treatment.
- Promising a product will cure or strengthen a medical condition.
- Sharing a client’s HIV status or medication list.
- Skipping consent because the client is a regular.