Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards

A pediatric patient's parent refuses to allow the child to undergo a recommended sleep study. What should the technologist do?

Answer: Respect the parent's legal right to refuse and document accordingly

Parents are the legal decision-makers for minor children; their refusal must be respected and documented, with the physician notified.

An RPSGT who witnesses a patient in respiratory distress during a study should:

Answer: Initiate emergency response protocols immediately

Life-threatening situations require immediate activation of emergency protocols; patient safety always supersedes study completion.

What is the purpose of the RPSGT code of ethics regarding conflicts of interest?

Answer: To ensure professional judgment is not compromised by personal or financial gain

Conflict of interest policies ensure that clinical decisions and professional judgments serve the patient rather than personal financial or other interests.

Cultural competence in sleep medicine practice primarily involves:

Answer: Recognizing and respecting cultural differences that may influence patient care and communication

Cultural competence means understanding and respecting how cultural factors influence health beliefs and communication to provide equitable, effective care.

If an RPSGT suspects a patient is suicidal based on statements made during the night study, the appropriate action is:

Answer: Alert the supervising clinician immediately and follow facility crisis protocol

Suicidal ideation is a psychiatric emergency that requires immediate escalation to clinical staff and activation of the facility's crisis protocol.

The principle of 'non-maleficence' obligates an RPSGT to:

Answer: Avoid causing harm to patients through actions or omissions

Non-maleficence is the ethical duty to avoid inflicting harm on patients, whether through action, negligence, or error.

An RPSGT is offered a job at a competing sleep lab and knows proprietary scoring protocols used at their current employer. They should:

Answer: Refrain from sharing confidential proprietary information that belongs to their current employer

Confidential proprietary information belongs to the employer; sharing or taking it constitutes a breach of professional ethics and may violate employment agreements.