Professionalism, Ethics & Patient Safety Flashcards
7 cards from real ABA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professionalism, Ethics & Patient Safety flashcards as text
A fatigued anesthesiologist who has been on call for 28 hours is asked to cover one more emergency case before relief arrives. Which response best reflects professional responsibility?
Answer: Inform the charge anesthesiologist of the fatigue and arrange for relief before the case begins
Transparent disclosure of fatigue to supervisors and arranging appropriate handoff upholds the duty to patient safety over personal reputation.
Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles, when applied to the OR, primarily aim to:
Answer: Improve team communication, situational awareness, and error prevention through structured teamwork
CRM applies aviation-derived teamwork principles to the OR to enhance communication, reduce errors, and optimize situational awareness across all team members.
A patient in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) becomes agitated and aggressive toward a nurse. The anesthesiologist is still responsible for the patient's care. Which action is most appropriate?
Answer: Evaluate the patient for emergence delirium, pain, or hypoxia before ordering sedation
Emergence agitation has reversible medical causes such as pain, hypoxia, or delirium that must be assessed before administering sedatives.
Which of the following best characterizes the 'duty to refer' in the context of anesthesiologist professionalism?
Answer: Recognizing the limits of one's competence and directing patients to more qualified providers when appropriate
The duty to refer requires physicians to recognize when a patient's needs exceed their competence and to facilitate access to appropriate expertise.
A patient's family member, who is also a physician, demands access to the patient's anesthesia record without the patient's consent and without a valid legal authorization. You should:
Answer: Decline to release the record and explain that patient authorization or legal process is required
HIPAA and patient confidentiality require valid patient authorization or lawful process regardless of the requester's professional status.
Which of the following is the most effective strategy for reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in the perioperative setting?
Answer: Implementing a standardized insertion bundle with checklist-verified sterile technique
Evidence consistently shows that standardized insertion bundles with strict adherence to sterile technique are the most effective intervention against CLABSI.
An anesthesiologist witnesses a surgical colleague make a derogatory comment about a patient's weight while the patient is under general anesthesia. The most appropriate response is to:
Answer: Address the behavior immediately or report it through appropriate channels as a professionalism violation
Disrespectful conduct toward anesthetized patients violates patient dignity and professional standards; immediate intervention or formal reporting is required.