Ethics and Professional Responsibility
Domain 8 tests judgment: the duties that go beyond minimum compliance.
Core duties
- Fiduciary care for preneed funds and itemized, accurate pricing.
- Honest advertising and representations; no false superiority claims.
- Informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for the decedent and family beliefs.
- Avoid conflicts: no solicitation at hospitals or death scenes and no undisclosed referral fees.
- Maintain accurate records and preserve confidentiality after the funeral.
Worked example
A hospice nurse refers families to a funeral home that pays her $100 per case. The payment is an undisclosed referral fee; it violates consumer-protection and professional norms even if families are satisfied.
Traps
- Calling a referral fee a "gift."
- Posting identifiable decedent information on social media.
- Steering a family to a higher package without disclosure.
- Ignoring a family's religious or cultural instructions.
- Blaming staff for one's own record failures during a Board investigation.