lecture material

Question 1

12 attributes of a professional paramedic

Answer 1

1. integrity
2. empathy
3. self confidence
4. self motivation
5. appearance (personal hygiene)
6. communications
7. time management
8. teamwork (diplomacy)
9. respect
10. patient advocacy
11. careful delivery of service
12. altruism

Question 2

what is professionalism

Answer 2

the way a person follows the standards of conduct and performance established by the profession

Question 3

definition of professionalism by Merriam-Webster)

Answer 3

The conduct, aims, or qualities that
characterize or mark a profession or a
professional person

Question 4

definition of professionalism by Cambridge

Answer 4

Any type of work which needs special training or a particular skill, often one which is respected because it involves a high level of education

Question 5

what does the father of medicine represent

Answer 5

Hippocratic oath

Question 6

The selfless dedication to the preservation of human life represents

Answer 6

Hippocratic oath

Question 7

4 key points to the Hippocratic oath

Answer 7

1. Promise to protect all life, to hold in the highest regard one’s teachers, to recognize one’s limitations, and to renounce self interest in the treatment of patients
2. Certain values echoed in modern views of professionalism
3. Other views found in the Oath are not consistent with modern beliefs
4. An ancient oath cannot possibly encompass current values

Question 8

what is the legislative law

Answer 8

the preparing and enacting of laws by local, state, or national legislatures

Question 9

common law

Answer 9

is a judge-made law derived over time

Question 9

what is administrative law

Answer 9

(the acts) - provincially based, depending what provide depends what acts apply and the specifics of the act

Question 10

civil law

Answer 10

coded law to wherever it applies

Question 11

what is an example of civil law

Answer 11

if you fall down the stairs - you could sue wherever the injury took place ie. eaton center for slippery stairs

Question 12

criminal law

Answer 12

area of law where the federal, state or the local government prosecutes individuals (measured beyond reasonable doubt), punished by fines, imprisonment or both

Question 13

example of civil law within a paramedic department

Answer 13

malpractice could be part of the civil suit they go after
**when something happens to a patient they will sue the department which is a civil law

Question 14

torts

Answer 14

the filing of a civil suit (will allow an injured person to obtain
compensation from the person who caused the injury) as a result of damages from wrongful acts

Question 15

scope of practice

Answer 15

what you can and cannot do and how you are certified

Question 15

who does a paramedic seek medical direction from

Answer 15

seeking medical advice or contact from the base hospital physician or doctor to stop patient care based on the given situation or injury to the patient to someone who oversees the paramedic program

Question 15

medical direction

Answer 15

certain things you have medical authorization (you are working under or beside a doctor’s license)

Question 16

TRUE OR FALSE
depending on the region depends on the base hospital you fall under

Answer 16

TRUE - Toronto and Peel fall under Sunny Brook Hospital and only apply to that base hospital. If you work for Toronto and Peel you cannot fall under another base hospital only sunny Brook

Question 17

certification

Answer 17

grants recognition to an individual who has a net predetermined qualifications
example - base hospital certifications and the AEMCA provincial exam

Question 18

7 categories for mandatory reporting requirements

Answer 18

1. child abuse and neglect
2. elder abuse, spousal abuse
3. sexual assault
4. gunshot and stab wounds
5. animal bites
6. communicable disease
7. traffic accidents

Question 19

Good Samaritan Laws

Answer 19

a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress
from being successfully sued for ‘wrongdoing.’ Its purpose is to keep people from being
so reluctant to help a stranger in need for fear of legal repercussions if they made some
mistake in treatment

Question 20

medical malpractice insurance

Answer 20

specialized professional liability policy that provides financial protection for medical professionals against claims or lawsuits related to their professional activities, such as allegations of misconduct, negligence, errors and omissions, and equipment or treatment-related injuries

Question 20

example of the Good Samaritan laws

Answer 20

most people in public don’t have the duty to act (ex. someone who is unconscious (VSA) in front of you and you perform cpr and family sues you, then the good samaritan laws come into effect)

Question 21

negligence

Answer 21

Not only are people responsible for the intentional harm they cause, but their failure to act as a reasonable person would be expected to act in similar circumstances (i.e. “negligence”) will also give rise to compensation

Question 22

Malfeasance

Answer 22

is the willful and intentional action that injures a party

Question 23

example of malfeasance

Answer 23

the failure to accurately diagnose worsened the patient’s medical condition. The breach was the cause of injury – The paramedic’s or EMT’s breach of duty of care is what caused the patients’ injury, not something else.

Question 24

Misfeasance

Answer 24

Is the willful inappropriate action or intentional incorrect action or advice

Question 25

example of misfeasance

Answer 25

failure to administer proper medications or administering wrong dosages/over-medicating. Ambulatory equipment failures. Negligent or reckless ambulance driving, leading to further injury. Willful failure to attend to a patient at the accident scene or leaving a patient at the accident scene.

Question 26

Nonfeasance

Answer 26

Not doing something that a person should be doing. A failure to act where action is required. Willfully or in Neglect

Question 27

example of nonfeasance

Answer 27

when a healthcare provider fails to administer necessary treatment, exemplifying it, a patient’s health can suffer. Legally, nonfeasance holds weight, potentially leading to severe consequences.

Question 28

proximate cause

Answer 28

• Was the action or inaction of the paramedic the cause of or worsened the damage or injury to the patient (did what they do or did not do make things worse)
• The act or lack of must have been foreseeable by the paramedic
• Commonly established by expert testimony

Question 28

what’s the difference between malfeasance misfeasance and nonfeasance

Answer 28

• Nonfeasance is defined as the intentional failure to perform a required duty or obligation
• Misfeasance is when someone performs an action incorrectly or a legal act performed in an illegal manner
• Malfeasance is when a party causes injury to another party on purpose

Question 28

4 main ways to breach the rule of negligence

Answer 28

1. Duty to act (duty to act, assess, treat and transport in a safely and timely manner)
2. Breach of duty (you did something that you had a duty not to do, or you failed to do something that you had an absolute duty to do)
3. Damage to patient (Any physical, and sometimes emotional injury caused by the breach of a duty can constitute this element of negligence)
4. Proximate cause

Question 29

3 common breaches of duty

Answer 29

Malfeasance : wrongful or unlawful act
Misfeasance - legal act which is harmful or injurious
Nonfeasance - failure to perform required act or duty

Question 30

what are the 6 duties to act

Answer 30

1. Respond and render car
2. Obey laws and regulations
3. Operate emergency vehicles reasonable and prudently (with care)
4. Provide care and transportation to the expected standard
5. Provide care and transportation consistent with the scope of practice/protocols
6. Continue care and transportation through to its appropriate conclusion ‘

Question 31

damage to the patient

Answer 31

1. Did the patient suffer compensable physical or psychological damage
   - Medical expenses
   - Lost earning
   - Conscious pain and suffering
   - Wrongful death
   - Punitive damages (that injure someone else due to negligent behaviour ex; drunk driving) could be awarded for gross negligence or willful misconduct

Question 32

example of proximate cause

Answer 32

ran a red light caused a crash and injured someone, they saw the red light and continued to run it

Question 33

statue of limitations

Answer 33

time limit in which you can file a lawsuit, some things its 6 months, other things its 5 years and others is a lifetime

Question 34

contributory negligence

Answer 34

a common law tort rule which bars plaintiffs from recovering for the negligence of others if they too were negligent in causing the harm.