EMS Chapter 3-4
ethics
"Keep abreast of changes in EMS that affect patient care. Assume res ponsibility in defining and upholding professional standards is part of the EMT's
Leading question
"Your pain is a 10/10, isn't it?" is an example of what type of question?
military time.
To ensure timing accuracy and synchronicity among EMS personnel, MOST EMS and health care facilities use:
false imprisonment
Transporting a patient who has the capacity to make rational decisions against her will can result in the charges of
When giving a hand-off report to a nurse at the receiving hospita
Under which of the following circumstances would it be appropriate to share personally identifiable information about a patient's medical condition?
Objective
Vital signs are considered to be what type of assessment finding?
Cystic fibrosis
What does the medical abbreviation "CF" stand for?
Use of synchronous clocks
What element of good PCR documentation and reliability should the EMS system ensure is occurring?
The safest and most efficient methods of using your body to gain a mechanical advantage during lifting
What is "body mechanics"?
Advance directive
What is the general name for instructions written in advance that serves as a legal document describing what should be done regarding medical decisions and care for the patient?
Duty to act
What is the legal term that is used to describe the obligation the EMT has to provide emergency care to a patient?
The isolette is designed to keep the infant warm
What is the primary reason neonates often transported in an isolette?
The lack of the symptom is relevant to the assessment.
What is the value of documenting a pertinent negative on your PCR?
U S Department of Transportation
What organization developed the information that is to be included in the PCR minimum data set?
Documentation of times pertinent to the trip
What should the EMT performing a quality assurance/improvement review on a PCR find in the administrative information section of the PCR?
Refuse the transport
What should the EMT squad do if they are requested to transport a patient who has nitroglycerin drip to a larger hospital for an emergency cardiac catheterization?
Battery
What term is used to describe the act of touching a person or patient without that person's consent?
Traditional written report
What type of PCR format requires the EMT to document patient information with an ink pen or other similar writing instrument?
Civil
What type of lawsuit will begin if an individual has been wronged by another individual?
Criminal
What type of lawsuit will begin if the government decides to take action against a person on behalf of society in general?
"drop report"
What type of report is usually left with the receiving facility if the EMS system is using electronic charting and normally faxes the chart in
abandonment.
Wheeling a nonemergency patient into the hospital emergency department, placing him in a bed, and leaving without transferring care directly to ED staff is
implied consent
When a patient is unable to make a rational decision regarding consenting to emergency care, the EMT may care for the patient based on:
Locked
When lifting and carrying equipment with one hand, it is important to keep your back in what position?
give the patient's name over the radio.
When receiving orders from medical direction, you should do all of the following EXCEPT
all team members should be trained in the proper techniques of lifting.
When rescuers are working together as a team to lift a patient
Position the patient was in when the vital signs were taken
When taking vital signs, what else would be most important to document relative to the vitals?
R stands for RX
When utilizing the CHART mnemonic for documentation, where is the treatment provided to the patient documented?
A
When utilizing the CHEATED mnemonic for documentation, the field impression would be documented in which section?
Assessment
When utilizing the SOAP mnemonic for documentation, what does the "A" stand for?
Mobile phones
Which of the below communication technologies is often used as a "backup" system to normal communications used by EMS?
The user typically has more freedom on the type of information entered, including writing style
Which of the choices is an advantage of the paper-based charting system?
Use of accurate and synchronous clocks
Which of the choices is necessary for ensuring that the minimum data set is as accurate as possible?
Subjective interpretation about the treatment rendered
Which of the following bits of information should NOT be found in the treatment section of a patient care report?
Determining whether or not the EMT was acting in an ethical manner
Which of the following is NOT a reason the EMT should maintain good documentation practice?
If you only take one set of vital signs, the second may be estimated
Which of the following is NOT accurate when completing the vital signs division of the PCR?
Do not resuscitate order
Which of the following is a legal document, usually signed by the patient and his physician, which states that the patient has a terminal illness and does NOT wish to prolong life through resuscitative efforts?
Personnel responding to an emergency while off duty
Which of the following situations generally apply to Good Samaritan laws?
The patient was abused or neglected
Which of the following situations would be most likely to require that the EMT provide additional documentation beyond the traditional PCR?
Falsified
Which of the following terms describes inaccurate information that has been documented on a PCR, and may lead to revocation of EMT certification as well as possible criminal charges?
Time of arrival at the scene or address
Which of the following trip times is typically NOT required in the administrative information section of the minimum data set?
Using abbreviations you have developed
Which of the following would NOT be appropriate when completing a PCR?
Breath sounds
Which of these is NOT required to appear in the patient information section of the minimum data set?
Coroner's office
Which office is responsible for investigating deaths involving suicides?
Chief complaint
Which one of the following belongs in the patient narrative section of the prehospital care report (PCR)?
Posting identifying photos of an accident on social media
Which one of the following examples would be considered as a breach of the patient's confidentiality?
Maintaining personal mental health
Which one of the following is considered an emergency medical technician's (EMTs) duty to self?
Failing to secure the patient's seat belt
Which one of the following is the best example of gross negligence?
Acknowledgement of call information
Which one of the following should be commonly communicated to dispatch?
Gunshot wounds
Which one of the following situations would require a special report?
An EMS crew member is killed .
Which one of the following situations would require filing a special report with the state?
Chief complaint
Which one of the folowing is considered to bert ot themininmum dala set recommenided by the US Department of Transportathon (oon)nd thepatent nartatve?
contrbutory negligence.
While responding to a call, you note that your partner is driving extremely fast and NOT operating the ambulance in a safe manner. During the response, you strike another vehicle that was driving the wrong way down a one-way street The driver of the vehicle cannot sue the ambulance for striking them because of
Standard of care is the minimum acceptable level of care in a community
While you are assisting with the education at a local EMT training class, a student asks you what the basic definition is for standard of care. How would you respond?
When you find the need to deviate from written protocol
While you work in an EMS system as an EMT, at what point during your daily tasks would you find it necessary to contact medical direction?
State
Who determines whether an emergency medical technician (EMT) has the duty to act when off duty?
To keep the material from being blown off the patient and into the main or tail rotor of the aircraft
Why should all equipment, blankets, and sheets be well secured before entering the rotor disk wash when loading a patient into a helicopter?
implied consent
You are called to the scene of a 45-year-old man who is unresponsive. You can legally begin treatment because of
inform the family that there is nothing you can do and that the patient is deceased
You are called to the scene of a full arrest. You arrive to a find a patient that is apneic, pulseless, and showing signs of rigor mortis. The family wants you to do e verything possible You should
treat the wound as usual, but notify police that you must transport the weapon with the patient.
You are caring for a patient who was stabbed. During your assessment, you find a small knife impaled in one of the stab wounds. You should:
EMS standby events
You are explaining to a new hire about all the paperwork you are responsible for. She sees a folder labeled "Special Reports" and asks you what is inside. Which of the following forms would likely NOT be in that folder?
It creates more legible written reports
You are giving a presentation to a group of new hires about your system's computer-based patient care report system. What might you identify as the greatest benefit of this system?
stay with the patient until someone with equal or higher care level assumes care
You are off duty and on your way to the grocery store when you witness a car accident in front of the store entrance. You stop to render assistance and identify yourself as an EMT to the occupants of the vehicles. The patient in the first car denies the need for assistance, but the second driver is complaining of neck pain. The patient tells you she thinks she will be okay but would like to get checked out. You are in a hurry, as you have an appointment later today It is acceptable to
Use the rapid extrication technique .
You are on the scene of a car crash where the driver is sitting in the driver's seat with a potential spine injury. The patient keeps going in and out of consciousness and has vomited twice. What should you do?
Diabetes melitus
You are reading the medical records of a patient as you are transterring him from one medical facility to another In the medical history section of the records, t says the patient has a history of DM What does this stand for
calling ahead and notifying the receiving facility of the patient's organ donor status, as this may speed up the process and potentially harvest more organs
You are transporting a victim from a motor vehicle colision and the patient's condition is deteriorating rapidly. From your experience, you do NOT think this patient will turvive this transport and will likely be arresting soon. You note from the driver's license that the victim is an organ donor. You can help facilitate these wishes by
Use the large muscles of your legs, hips, and buttocks.
You are watching a new fire fighter help to lift a patient from the ground to the cot. What would you tell him if you saw him lifting with his back muscles?
negligence
You arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest and find that the battery on your automated external defibrillator (AED) is not charged, rendering the AED useless. As an EMT, you can be charged with
contact the coroner's office due to it being a MVC-related death
You arrive on the scene of a motor vehicle collision (MVC) where the driver is being extricated Once the driver is freed and loaded onto the EMS cot following a 45-minute extrication process during which you could not gain access to, or care for, the patient, you note that he is pulseless, apneic, and has injuries that are incompatible with life. The EMT should
notify the coroner 's office
You arrive to a scene for a DOA. You discover that the patient has apparently commited suicide. The EMT has the duty to:
EMTALA
You have arrived at the emergency department of the only hospital in your community The next hospital is 50 miles away Your patient is labor. A nurse comes into the ambulance bay before you unload the patient and tells you that you need to take the patient to the larger hospital, 50 miles away, where they have an obstetrician on duty The nurse tells you she is NOT going to accept the patient in the emergency department. The nurse and the hospital could be subject to legal action under which of the following laws?
No damages will be awarded
You have been sued for negligence What happens if the plaintf is only able to prove three of the four elements of negligence?
take off work until you can straighten out your family problems and make sure you are mentally prepared to work
You have been under a lot of family stress lately and you have NOT been sleeping well When you got to work this morning, you realized you forgot to place your badge on your uniform shirt. You tell your partner how you just cannot seem to think about anything else lately than your problems at home. Your partner tells you that he is concerned about your well being After hearing this, you know that your duty as an EMT is to:
subjective
You have documented on the PCR that the patient was complaining of nausea. This type of information is known as
advise him that you can take his information and pass it along to the privacy officer at your department who will contact him with instructions to access the information he requests.
You have just returned to the station after completing a call where you transported an elderly female patient to the hospital for nausea and vomiting. Upon exiting the ambulance, you are approached by a man who indicates that the patient you just transported was his mother, and he wants to know the details of the run. The EMT should:
morals
Your EMT partner documented more hours on his time sheet than he actually worked It can be said that this EMT is demonstrating poor
Have the supervisor find an ALS provider to be on the transport team.
Your EMT squad was called to a small community hospital to pick up a burn patient and transport her two hours to the regional burn center. When you arrive, you find that the patient is intubated and on a ventilator. What should you do before transporting the patient?
Notify your supervisor, as your partner may not be able to perform safe lifting at work
Your parther has been complaining about back problems lately You are concerned that your partner will NOT be able to lift appropriately if needed. What should you as an EMT do in this situation?
Repeaters
are devices that receive transmissions from lower powered sources and rebroadcast them at a higher power and a different frequency
When using the extremity lift, the FIRST rescuer should kneel at the patient's
head
an ethical and moral conflict
patient is injured but refuses to be transported by ambulance. He has the capacity to make rational decisions, and you have exhausted all avenues to convince the patient to be transported. You still feel that he should go. This situation can be referred to as
advance directive that identifies a person who can make decisions for the patient if he becomes incapacitated
A durable power of attorney for health care is an
Fill out an abuse report anyway
A fellow EMT with whom you work tells you that he thinks that a baby he transported yesterday was a victim of abuse. He was go ing to report it, but the parents are well-known community leaders, and he thinks that he'll get into trouble if his suspicions are wrong. What should you advise him to do?
perform an assessment , let the patient know the findings and recommendations , and try to persuade the patient to be transported due to the mechanism of injury
A patient fell from the roof of a house while doing repair work. The patient is alert, oriented, and has no injuries. The patient wants to refuse transport. The EMT should:
patients cannot be pronounced dead until they are warm and dead.
A patient is found outside in the snow with NO spontaneous breathing, pulse, or signs of life. The EMT knows:
When traversing narrow corridors and doorways
A stair chair should be used under which of the following circumstances?
sovereign immunity
A type of immunity that protects governmentally run EMS services from being sued by persons they treat is called
incident was reported .
Administrative information in the US. Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) minimum data set includes the time the
CQI/ research use
After reviewing the PCR forms for the last 6 months, it was determined that a remediation cless needs to be s set up for how to use the pediatric immobilization device during transport What type of function did the serve in that purpose?
EMT was on duty with a paid EMS service
All of the following are components to establishing negligence EXCEPT the
EMS system's medical director
Among the sources used to define the individual EMT's scope of practice is the:
gross negligence.
An EMT can still be held liable and NOT protected by the Good Samaritan law if his actions demonstrate
empathy
An EMT listens to a patient's statement about his pain from falling and injuring his wrist and says, "I understand how you feel. I fell when I was snowboarding last season and had a similar injury." This is a therapeutic communications technique known as
ethical responsibilities
An EMT maintaining skills mastery, reviewing performances critically, and reporting with honesty are considered:
ethics
An EMT who critically reviews patient care performances and seeks ways to improve for future patient encounters is demonstrating good
ethics
An EMT who takes his time to maintain mastery of skills that are used infrequently would be said to have good
Confidentiality
An EMT who violates this may result in a loss of EMT certification and other legal actions.
informed.
An adult patient's consent to treatment may occur in one of three ways: expressed, implied, or
scope of practice.
An emergency medical technician (EMT ) ntiated intravenous access in a patient This skill si not authorized for the EMIT's level of icensure. This EMT has exceeded the
Stops and provides help to the injured
An emergency medical technician (EMT) is off duty and comes upon a motor vehicle collision. In which of the following situations does the EMT create a duty to act?
drop report.
Another name for an abbreviated transfer-of-care form is:
Language barriers
As an emergency medical technician (EMT), you will have to explain many things. Which of the following should you consider prior to providing an explanation?
Move the table as little as possible , notify police on the scene that you moved the table , and document your actions precisely 1 your patient care report
As you enter a hectic potential crime scene, there is a coffee table blocking your access to the patient Which of the following is the BEST way to manage this situation?
Expressed
At a minimum, if the patient is awake and responsive, what kind of consent is needed before you provide care?
Lifting the patient or equipment
Beyond performing a thorough patient assessment, what other skill will the EMT use on MOST patient encounters?
daily.
Communication equipment that operates on battery power should be checked
the standard of care.
Comparing the actions of an emergency medical technician (EMT) to the actions of a reasonably prudent EMT in similar circumstances is also k own as:
patient caused or contributed to his own damage.
Contributory negligence could be considered when the:
Synchronous
Determining how long a patient has been in cardiac arrest affer intiating transport to the hospital from the scene is easier f an EMS system uses what types of clocks?
advance directives
Documents signed by a patient that communicate his wishes regarding medical care are called:
begin bag - valve mask ventilations with oxygen and transport the patient to the hospital do nothing-the patient
EMS is called to a scene where a terminally ill patient with a valid DNR and a living will has become unconscious. The patients living will states that he does NOT want any advanced placed to sustain life, including the use of artificial airways. The patient has labored, shallow breathing and an Spo2 saturation of 80 percent
Private ambulance services
Each of the following agencies may have emergency medical service (EMS) responsibility Which agency would not be covered by sovereign immunity?
limits the discussion of patient-specific information only with individuals with whom it is medically necessary to do so
HIPAA
Draw a single horizontal line through it, initial it, then write the correct word beside it
How should the EMT correct an error on a written PCR?
Negligence
If an EMT has a duty to act but does NOT provide the standard of care, charges may be brought against the EMT in a court of law for what?
Medical direction
If an EMT needs to assist in the administration of nitroglycerin for a patient with chest pain, but this is not part of the written standing orders, who will the EMT have to contact for permission?
libel.
If an EMT were to release information about how intoxicated a patient was onto a social network site, this could be considered
deceased.
If dependent lividity is present, it can be assumed that the patient is
treat the patient the same as a non - donor .
If it is discovered that a seriously injured patient is an organ donor and you anticipate an arrest will occur, the emergency care providers should:
Patient narrative section
If the EMT wanted to include more detailed information about the patient's condition or response to a treatment, it should be included in which section of the PCR?
abandonment
If you stop providing care to a patient without ensuring that equivalent or better care would be provided, you could be legally liable for
current trade journals.
In a legal action, the jury may determine if an EMT followed his standard of care, which is based upon all of the following, EXCEPT
encoding, receiving, decoding, and response.
In order, the steps of communication are:
objective information
Information that is measurable or verifiable in some way is called:
Good Samaritan laws
Laws that have been developed by states to minimize the risk of being held liable for individuals providing emergency care to victims of illness or injury are called:
That an eldery patent has been abused
Of the following suspicions that the EMT may develop when caring for a patient, which is s most most ikely ikely to to necessitate necessitale the the need need for tor the the EMT EMT to to complete complete a a special special repot report relative relatve to o the patient's condition?
defamation
Releasing information to the public in either a written or spoken format that is construed to be damaging to a person's character or reputation or standing within the community is called
write it down."
Remember this EMS saying when flling out reports: "If it was not done, do not
negatives
Sign and symptoms that mightbe expected, based on a patent's chiet complaint bu that the patient denies having, are examples of pertinent
pertinent negatives
Signs and symptoms that are expected based on the chief complaint, but that the patient denies having, are known as:
governmental immunity.
Sovereign immunity is also known as
Transient ischemic attack .
TIA is a commonly accepted abbreviation for:
plan.
The " P " in the mnemonic SOAP stands for
assessment.
The "A" in the SOAP assessment
disposition
The "D" in the mnemonic CHEATED stands for
Rx.
The "R" in the mnemonic CHART stands for
medical direction
The EMT is on the scene treating a patient, and the patients physician is on scene ordering the EMT to transport the patient to somewhere other than the closest appropriate facility. The BEST person the EMT could contact for clarification would be:
if you are sued by a patient for rendering competent care while off duty
The Good Samaritan law will protect you:
confidential
The PCR and the information on it are considered
the patient's respiratory rate and effort.
The United States Department of Transportation's minimum data set for patient information gathered by the EMT includes
scope of practice.
The actions that an EMT are legally allowed to perform while caring for an injured or ill patient are known as
living will.
The document that is MOST often used to cover general health care issues, including the use of long-term life support equipment, is called alan
duty to act.
The obligation of an EMT to provide care to a patient in any given situation is called the
the ambulance service name.
The patient data section of the prehospital care report includes all of the following, EXCEPT
symptoms are subjective findings, while signs are objective findings
The patient narrative contains detailed information about the patient. When writing the narrative portion of your PCR, keep in mind that:
Patient narrative
The patient's description of the mechanism of injury belongs in which one of the following sections?
