AMC MCQ Ethics and Professional Practice 3

Question 1

A colleague appears to be drinking alcohol before clinical shifts and you have witnessed errors. What is your first professional obligation?

Accepted Answer

Address patient safety, which may require a mandatory notification to AHPRA

Answer

Patient safety takes priority and impairment risking patients is notifiable conduct.

Question 2

A dying patient asks you to actively end their life. In most Australian jurisdictions with VAD laws, what is required?

Accepted Answer

Strict eligibility criteria, multiple assessments, and formal legal process must be followed

Answer

Voluntary assisted dying, where legal, requires strict eligibility, multiple independent assessments, and legal safeguards.

Question 3

You realise you made a medication error that caused minor patient harm. Open disclosure principles require you to do what?

Accepted Answer

Honestly inform the patient, apologise, and explain what happened and next steps

Answer

Open disclosure requires honest, timely communication and an apology to the affected patient.

Question 4

A patient's adult child demands information about the patient's diagnosis. The competent patient has not consented. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Maintain confidentiality unless the patient consents or a legal exception applies

Answer

Patient confidentiality must be maintained without consent, even with close relatives.

Question 5

Which best describes the ethical principle of 'justice' in clinical practice?

Accepted Answer

Fair distribution of resources and equitable treatment of patients

Answer

Justice concerns fairness and equitable allocation of healthcare resources and treatment.

AMC MCQ Practice Test