Question 1

Your elderly patient is not breathing and has no pulse. Her husband informs you that she has an advance directive and gives you the paperwork. The advanced directive states that the patient does not want resuscitation. You should

Accepted Answer

C) Ensuring the form lists her name and obtaining documentation to confirm her identity are crucial steps to verify the advance directive applies to the patient in question, respecting her wishes legally and ethically.

Question 2

POLST stands for _________ Orders of Life-Sustaining Treatment.

Accepted Answer

POLST stands for Physician Orders of Life-Sustaining Treatment. It is a medical order indicating a patient's wishes regarding treatments that are commonly used in a medical crisis.

Question 3

The unlawful touching of another person without consent is called

Accepted Answer

Battery is the correct term for the unlawful touching of another person without consent. Assault is the act of threatening physical harm, while battery involves actual physical contact. Negligence and abandonment do not specifically refer to the act of touching someone without their consent.

Question 4

In a negligence charge, one of the four elements that must be proven is that the actions or inactions of the EMS professional caused or contributed to the injury. This is known as the ___________ cause.

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "proximate cause," which refers to the legal concept that the actions or inactions of the defendant had a direct effect in causing the injury or damage.

Question 5

Your female patient complains of severe pain in her hip after a fall. She thinks she might be pregnant, does not want any medication, and does not want her boyfriend to know about the possible pregnancy. Her boyfriend demands that you give her painkillers immediately. You should

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your female patient complains of severe pain...

Question 6

The prehospital care report (PCR) may also be called the

Accepted Answer

The prehospital care report (PCR) is commonly referred to as the ambulance report because it documents all care and observations made by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the prehospital setting.

Question 7

Listing the time the incident was reported to 9-1-1, the time your unit was notified, and the time you arrived at the patient are all included in which section of the Prehospital Care Report?

Accepted Answer

These details are part of the administrative information, which includes times, dates, and other logistical details related to the call and response.

Question 8

When writing a PCR, you should

Accepted Answer

Documenting any orders received from medical direction and the results is crucial for ensuring that the patient's care is accurately recorded and that there is a clear record of the medical direction's involvement and decisions. This is important for continuity of care, legal reasons, and quality assurance.

Question 9

In a lawsuit, the person who files a formal complaint with the court is known as the

Accepted Answer

The plaintiff is the person who initiates a lawsuit by filing a formal complaint with the court, alleging that they have been harmed in some way and seeking relief or damages from the defendant.

Question 10

After a lawsuit has been filed with the court and all parties have been notified, they enter which stage of the process?

Accepted Answer

The discovery stage is where both parties gather and exchange information and evidence related to the case.

Question 11

A patient has a gunshot wound to the stomach. His shirt is soaked in blood. You should

Accepted Answer

Removing the shirt by cutting around the bullet hole prevents further contamination of the wound.

Question 12

At the hospital, you transfer your patient to a volunteer who is covering the ER admitting desk for a few minutes while the admitting nurse has stepped away. In this case, you could be charged with

Accepted Answer

Transferring a patient to someone who is not qualified to provide the necessary care, such as a volunteer, without ensuring the patient is safely handed off to another healthcare professional, can be considered abandonment. This is because the healthcare provider has failed to ensure the continuity of care for the patient.

Question 13

An unresponsive patient has lost a pulse and your partner states that his driver's license identifies the patient as an organ donor. You should

Accepted Answer

In an emergency situation where a patient has lost a pulse and is unresponsive, the immediate priority is to begin CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) regardless of the patient's organ donor status. The goal is to preserve life and potentially stabilize the patient for further medical treatment. Organ donation considerations come into play only after all life-saving measures have been exhausted and death has been legally declared.

Question 14

Your partner is documenting a call where a suicidal teenage girl was restrained before transport. He writes that she was "rude, confrontational, and very dramatic in her responses to our questions." Which standard for good documentation has he violated?

Accepted Answer

The partner has violated the standard of objectivity by using subjective language ("rude, confrontational, and very dramatic") instead of sticking to factual, neutral descriptions of the patient's behavior.

Question 15

As you are double-checking your patient care report, you realize that you documented an incorrect blood pressure. You should

Accepted Answer

Drawing a single horizontal line through the incorrect information, writing the correct information next to it, and initialing it is the standard and professional way to correct an error in a patient care report. This method maintains the integrity of the document and ensures that all changes are transparent and accountable.

Question 16

Many states or local laws require personnel to report cases that involve abuse to a child or an elder, infectious diseases, or gunshot wounds. All of these personnel are known as

Accepted Answer

Mandated reporters are individuals required by law to report certain types of injuries, abuses, or infectious diseases to authorities, typically in the context of child or elder abuse, as well as specific medical conditions like gunshot wounds.

Question 17

Your elderly female patient has a burn on her forearm from a kitchen accident and shows signs of disorientation and confusion. She wants you to apply a bandage and leave and is refusing transport. You should

Accepted Answer

The patient's disorientation and confusion suggest she may not be competent to make informed decisions about her care. Calling for paramedics ensures she receives appropriate medical evaluation and care.

Quiz 3: Legal and Ethical Issues and Documentation