Ethics, Professionalism, and Infection Control
Ethics, Professionalism, and Infection Control tests informed consent, confidentiality, scope of practice, referral, and Standard Precautions. The exam expects patient-centered reasoning and documented infection-control practice.
Core rules
- Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks and alternatives, and voluntary agreement.
- Confidentiality persists after care; share information only with consent or legal requirement.
- Refer when a procedure exceeds competence or when medical risk requires specialist input.
- Standard Precautions apply to all patients; use hand hygiene, PPE, safe sharps handling, and correct waste segregation.
- Sterilization requires cleaning, packaging, autoclave cycles, and monitoring; Spaulding classification guides reprocessing.
Worked example
A clinician sustains a needlestick after local anesthesia. Reasoning: wash the site with soap and water, report immediately, assess source and exposure, follow post-exposure prophylaxis protocols, and document. Do not squeeze or use caustic agents. The event also triggers review of sharps handling and safety devices.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating consent as a signature without discussion.
- Discussing a patient in public areas.
- Using inadequate sterilization monitoring.
- Recapping needles by hand.
- Failing to document exposure incidents.