FANZCA Professional Standards and Ethics 2

Question 1

A consultant anaesthetist discovers a colleague is performing procedures while impaired by alcohol. What is the FIRST appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Notify the department head or clinical lead as per hospital policy

Answer

Report directly to the hospital CEO

Answer

Confront the colleague privately and document the incident

Answer

Contact the Medical Board of Australia immediately

Question 2

Under the ANZCA Code of Professional Conduct, what principle governs the duty to disclose a near-miss event to a patient?

Accepted Answer

Open disclosure — honesty and transparency with patients

Answer

Beneficence — acting in the patient's best interest

Answer

Non-maleficence — avoiding further harm through disclosure

Answer

Justice — equitable treatment of all patients

Question 3

A patient who lacks decision-making capacity requires emergency surgery. No next of kin is reachable. The anaesthetist should:

Accepted Answer

Proceed on the basis of necessity and best interests, documenting reasoning

Answer

Refuse to proceed until a guardian is identified

Answer

Obtain consent from the most senior nurse on shift

Answer

Apply to a court for emergency guardianship before proceeding

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'therapeutic privilege' in the context of informed consent?

Accepted Answer

The right of a physician to withhold information if disclosure would harm the patient

Answer

A patient's right to waive detailed information about their procedure

Answer

The anaesthetist's discretion to choose which technique to use

Answer

Permission to administer sedation without consent during emergencies

Question 5

A trainee anaesthetist is asked by a supervisor to falsify a logbook entry. The trainee should:

Accepted Answer

Refuse and report the request to the training committee or ANZCA

Answer

Comply to avoid conflict with the supervisor

Answer

Discuss it with colleagues before deciding

Answer

Complete the entry as requested but note the discrepancy privately

Question 6

Regarding social media use, ANZCA's professional standards require Fellows to:

Accepted Answer

Ensure patient privacy is maintained and professional conduct upheld in all online activity

Answer

Avoid all social media platforms to prevent ethical conflicts

Answer

Obtain written consent before posting any clinical opinion online

Answer

Use only ANZCA-approved platforms for professional communication

Question 7

A patient revokes consent for a regional block after induction of general anaesthesia. The most appropriate response is:

Accepted Answer

Document the refusal and omit the block from the anaesthetic plan

Answer

Proceed with the block as it is in the patient's best interests

Answer

Defer the block and reassess consent when the patient regains capacity

Answer

Seek consent from the patient's next of kin to proceed