NPTE-PT Safety and Professional Responsibilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PT receives a referral to treat a patient for a condition outside the PT's area of competence. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Accept the referral and learn as treatment progresses
- Accept the referral but limit treatment to techniques the PT knows
- Decline the referral and direct the patient to a qualified provider (Correct answer)
- Consult with a colleague informally and proceed with treatment
Correct answer: Decline the referral and direct the patient to a qualified provider
Practicing outside one's competence violates the APTA Code of Ethics; the PT should refer the patient to a practitioner with appropriate expertise.
Question 2: A patient with a pacemaker is referred for interferential current therapy. What is the most appropriate action?
- Apply the electrodes away from the pacemaker site and proceed
- Contact the referring physician and withhold treatment pending clearance (Correct answer)
- Use a lower intensity setting to reduce risk
- Substitute with ultrasound, which has no contraindication for pacemakers
Correct answer: Contact the referring physician and withhold treatment pending clearance
Electrical stimulation is contraindicated over or near a pacemaker; physician clearance must be obtained before proceeding.
Question 3: During a home health visit, a PT notices the patient's home environment poses significant fall hazards. What is the priority action?
- Complete the scheduled treatment session and document hazards at the end
- Address the safety hazards with the patient and caregiver immediately and document recommendations (Correct answer)
- Discharge the patient from home health due to unsafe conditions
- Contact the physician to request a change in the treatment setting
Correct answer: Address the safety hazards with the patient and caregiver immediately and document recommendations
Addressing and documenting environmental fall hazards immediately is a core PT responsibility in home health to prevent injury.
Question 4: A PT working in a school setting identifies a child who may have developmental delays beyond the current referral. What is the best action?
- Begin treatment for the additional concerns without further referral
- Notify the parents and recommend appropriate specialist referral (Correct answer)
- Document the observations only and not discuss with parents
- Ignore findings unrelated to the current referral diagnosis
Correct answer: Notify the parents and recommend appropriate specialist referral
PTs are obligated to communicate relevant clinical findings to caregivers and recommend referral to appropriate specialists.
Question 5: Which is the correct sequence for hand hygiene in a clinical setting when hands are not visibly soiled?
- Soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Alcohol-based hand rub applied until hands are dry (Correct answer)
- Soap and water followed by alcohol-based hand rub
- Glove use eliminates the need for hand hygiene
Correct answer: Alcohol-based hand rub applied until hands are dry
When hands are not visibly soiled, an alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred hand hygiene method per CDC guidelines.
Question 6: A patient shares protected health information with the PT that they do not want shared with family members. Under HIPAA, what must the PT do?
- Share information with family if it is in the patient's best interest
- Honor the patient's request and restrict disclosure to family members (Correct answer)
- Inform the patient that family can request records at any time
- Document the request but disclose if family insists
Correct answer: Honor the patient's request and restrict disclosure to family members
HIPAA grants patients the right to restrict disclosure of their PHI, including to family members, and providers must honor that request.
Question 7: A PT observes that the medical record contains a physician's order with unclear dosage instructions relevant to the patient's rehabilitation. What should the PT do?
- Proceed with treatment using clinical judgment about the dosage
- Clarify the order directly with the prescribing physician before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Ask the nursing staff to interpret the order on the physician's behalf
- Document uncertainty in the chart and proceed cautiously
Correct answer: Clarify the order directly with the prescribing physician before proceeding
Ambiguous orders must be clarified directly with the prescribing physician to ensure patient safety before proceeding.
NPTE-PT Safety and Professional Responsibilities 3
A PT receives a referral to treat a patient for a condition outside the PT's area of competence.
What is the most ethical course of action?