STC Professional Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are standard precautions in healthcare?
- Treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious (Correct answer)
- Only wearing gloves for known infections
- Hand washing after patient contact only
- Using masks during surgery only
Correct answer: Treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious
Standard precautions assume all blood and body fluids are potentially infectious, requiring consistent use of barriers (gloves, gowns, masks) and hand hygiene for all patient interactions.
Question 2: What is the most effective way to prevent healthcare-associated infections?
- Proper hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Wearing gloves at all times
- Taking antibiotics
- Cleaning the floor
Correct answer: Proper hand hygiene
Hand hygiene (washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub) is the single most effective measure for preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
Question 3: What does informed consent require?
- Explaining the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the patient (Correct answer)
- Getting any signature on a form
- Verbal agreement only
- Family approval only
Correct answer: Explaining the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives to the patient
Informed consent requires that patients understand the proposed procedure, its risks and benefits, alternatives, and have the opportunity to ask questions before agreeing.
Question 4: What is HIPAA?
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — protects patient privacy (Correct answer)
- A medical diagnosis code
- A type of insurance plan
- A hospital ranking system
Correct answer: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — protects patient privacy
HIPAA establishes national standards for protecting patient health information, ensuring privacy and security of medical records.
Question 5: What is the correct order for donning PPE?
- Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves (Correct answer)
- Gloves, gown, mask, eye protection
- Mask, gloves, gown, eye protection
- Any order is acceptable
Correct answer: Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves
The correct donning sequence is gown first, then mask/respirator, eye protection/face shield, and gloves last. This prevents contamination during application.
Question 6: What is a nosocomial infection?
- An infection acquired in a healthcare facility (Correct answer)
- A respiratory infection
- A genetic condition
- A childhood disease
Correct answer: An infection acquired in a healthcare facility
Nosocomial (healthcare-associated) infections are acquired during the course of receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility, not present at admission.
STC Professional Ethics 1
What are standard precautions in healthcare?