Professional Standards & Competencies Flashcards

The ethical principle of 'beneficence' in OEC practice means that a patroller must:

Answer: Actively work to promote the patient's well-being and provide beneficial care

Beneficence means actively doing good for the patient — providing care that improves their condition or prevents further harm.

A competent adult patient with a painful ankle fracture refuses care and transport. The OEC Technician's ethical and legal obligation is to:

Answer: Respect the refusal after ensuring the patient is informed of the risks, and document the refusal thoroughly

Competent adults have the right to refuse care; the OEC tech must ensure informed refusal, explain risks clearly, offer alternatives, and document fully.

The principle of 'non-maleficence' most directly guides an OEC Technician when deciding whether to:

Answer: Perform a skill they have not practiced recently and may execute poorly

Non-maleficence — avoiding harm — demands that technicians not perform skills they cannot execute safely, as a poor attempt can worsen the patient's condition.

An OEC Technician responds to a patient who is a close personal friend. To maintain professional conduct, the technician should:

Answer: Provide care as normal but disclose the relationship to the patrol supervisor and consider recusal if objectivity is compromised

Disclosing the relationship allows supervisors to assess whether objectivity is maintained; the technician may remain involved if able to act professionally.

Cultural competence in OEC refers to an OEC Technician's ability to:

Answer: Recognize and respect cultural differences that may affect patient communication and care decisions

Cultural competence involves understanding how a patient's cultural background, values, and communication style may affect their care experience and decisions.

After a traumatic call involving a pediatric patient who did not survive, the patrol director should consider offering team members:

Answer: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) or peer support resources

Critical Incident Stress Management provides structured peer support that helps emergency responders process psychological trauma after distressing events.

When an OEC Technician is unsure whether a patient situation falls within their protocols, the best action is to:

Answer: Contact medical direction (online or offline protocol guidance) and clearly communicate with EMS if en route

Seeking guidance from medical direction — whether through radio contact or pre-established offline protocols — ensures the technician acts within authorized scope.