RPSGT Professional Standards & Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum number of continuing education credits an RPSGT must earn per recertification cycle?
- 10 CECs
- 20 CECs
- 30 CECs (Correct answer)
- 50 CECs
Correct answer: 30 CECs
The BRPT requires 30 continuing education credits per 5-year recertification cycle to maintain the RPSGT credential.
Question 2: A patient confides that they are experiencing domestic violence. As an RPSGT, what is the appropriate response?
- Ignore it because it is outside the scope of sleep medicine
- Follow your facility's protocol for reporting and offer appropriate resources (Correct answer)
- Confront the abuser directly on behalf of the patient
- Break confidentiality and contact police without the patient's input
Correct answer: Follow your facility's protocol for reporting and offer appropriate resources
Healthcare professionals should follow facility protocols, which typically involve offering resources and involving social services or mandated reporting where applicable.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'scope of practice' for an RPSGT?
- Any task the technologist feels capable of performing
- Tasks defined by state laws, employer policies, and professional standards (Correct answer)
- Only tasks explicitly listed in the BRPT examination content outline
- Tasks approved solely by the supervising physician on a case-by-case basis
Correct answer: Tasks defined by state laws, employer policies, and professional standards
Scope of practice is defined by a combination of state regulations, employer policies, professional standards, and the technologist's training and competency.
Question 4: During a study, a patient becomes agitated and physically threatens the technologist. The first priority should be:
- Physically restraining the patient to protect equipment
- Ensuring safety for both the patient and staff, then following facility protocol (Correct answer)
- Completing the study regardless of patient behavior
- Immediately discharging the patient without documentation
Correct answer: Ensuring safety for both the patient and staff, then following facility protocol
Safety of both patients and staff is always the top priority; technologists should follow facility emergency and de-escalation protocols.
Question 5: An RPSGT notices a co-worker consistently arriving late and showing signs of impairment during night shifts. The ethical obligation is to:
- Cover for the colleague to avoid workplace conflict
- Address concerns through proper channels such as a supervisor or employee assistance program (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly during a shift
- Ignore the behavior unless a patient complaint is filed
Correct answer: Address concerns through proper channels such as a supervisor or employee assistance program
Ethical duty includes protecting patient safety, which requires reporting impaired colleagues through appropriate channels.
Question 6: What does 'informed consent' require before a sleep study is conducted?
- Only the physician's signature is needed
- The patient must receive a full explanation of the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing (Correct answer)
- Verbal agreement from the patient without any written documentation
- Consent from a family member is sufficient for adult patients
Correct answer: The patient must receive a full explanation of the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives before agreeing
Informed consent requires that the patient receives complete information about the procedure and voluntarily agrees, typically documented in writing.
Question 7: A pharmaceutical company offers an RPSGT a cash gift in exchange for recommending their sleep medication to patients. Accepting this gift would be:
- Acceptable if the medication is clinically effective
- A conflict of interest and an ethical violation (Correct answer)
- Permissible if the amount is under $50
- Legal and ethical as long as it is disclosed to the employer
Correct answer: A conflict of interest and an ethical violation
Accepting financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies in exchange for influencing patient care is a conflict of interest that violates professional ethics.
RPSGT Professional Standards & Ethics 3
What is the minimum number of continuing education credits an RPSGT must earn per recertification cycle?