CED Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which behavior best demonstrates professionalism during a high-stress multi-incident period for a CED?
- Prioritizing calls based on personal judgment alone
- Maintaining composure and following established protocols consistently (Correct answer)
- Delegating all non-priority calls to trainees
- Reducing documentation to manage workload
Correct answer: Maintaining composure and following established protocols consistently
Maintaining composure and adhering to protocols ensures consistent, safe outcomes even during peak demand.
Question 2: A CED discovers a colleague is consistently providing inaccurate pre-arrival instructions. The appropriate first step is to:
- Ignore it to avoid conflict
- Report it to a supervisor or quality assurance officer (Correct answer)
- Directly confront the colleague in front of callers
- Document it personally but take no further action
Correct answer: Report it to a supervisor or quality assurance officer
Reporting concerns about a colleague's performance protects public safety and is a core professional responsibility.
Question 3: What does 'active listening' require of a CED during a 911 call?
- Talking continuously to reassure the caller
- Focusing on the caller's words, tone, and background cues simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Waiting silently until the caller stops speaking
- Only listening to the first 30 seconds before classifying the call
Correct answer: Focusing on the caller's words, tone, and background cues simultaneously
Active listening integrates verbal content, emotional tone, and environmental cues to accurately assess the situation.
Question 4: A CED must maintain medical dispatch certification. How often must NAED-certified dispatchers typically recertify?
- Every year
- Every two years (Correct answer)
- Every three years
- Every five years
Correct answer: Every two years
NAED (National Academy of Emergency Dispatch) requires recertification every two years to ensure current knowledge.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key component of the dispatcher's role in the 'chain of survival' for cardiac arrest?
- Transporting the patient to the hospital
- Providing CPR instructions to bystanders before EMS arrival (Correct answer)
- Administering medication over the phone
- Coordinating air transport exclusively
Correct answer: Providing CPR instructions to bystanders before EMS arrival
Telephone CPR instructions from dispatchers bridge the gap between collapse and EMS arrival, improving survival rates.
Question 6: When a CED feels overwhelmed by cumulative critical incident stress, the recommended professional action is to:
- Push through without mentioning it to anyone
- Self-medicate with alcohol or sedatives
- Seek support through a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program (Correct answer)
- Take unauthorized leave until feeling better
Correct answer: Seek support through a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program
CISM programs are specifically designed to help emergency dispatchers process cumulative stress in a structured, professional setting.
Question 7: Confidentiality obligations for a CED include:
- Sharing incident details with uninvolved coworkers as a debrief
- Protecting caller and patient information from unauthorized disclosure (Correct answer)
- Posting incident summaries on personal social media for awareness
- Discussing case specifics with family members after shift
Correct answer: Protecting caller and patient information from unauthorized disclosure
Dispatchers are bound by legal and ethical obligations to protect the privacy of callers and patients at all times.
CED Professional Standards & Competencies 2
Which behavior best demonstrates professionalism during a high-stress multi-incident period for a CED?