accountability
to be held responsible for, obligation employees have to their manager for the successful completion of an assigned task
Accreditation
Process whereby businesses, educational institutions and programs, and health care organizations are determined to meet standards and performance criteria as established by an accrediting agency. Established CAAHEP or ABHES
advance directive
a document stating a person's wishes about health care when that person cannot make his or her own decisions
negligence
omission or commission of an act that a reasonable or prudent person would not do under the same conditions.
risk management
steps taken to minimize danger, hazard, and liability.
affidavit
voluntary statement of facts sworn before an authority to be true.
credentialing
process by which an agency or organization establishes a minimum knowledge base for a given health care profession and awards a credential to individuals that meet the minimum knowledge level. Can be by:
Registration
Certification
Licensure
ethics
branch of philosophy dealing with good conduct and moral values
formalism
a general ethical approach to right or wrong in which an act is not judged by its consequences, but rather is itself in accord with what is right or wrong
incident report
documentation that describes any injury or potential for injury suffered by a patient in a healthcare agency
liability
an obligation to do or not do something, the state of being legally responsible for the harm one causes another person
malpractice
professional misconduct that results in harm to another
moral principles
guides for ethical decision making that include the concern that we have for the well being of others, respect for individual autonomy, basic justice, prevention of harm to others, and refusal to take unfair advantage.
Safe Medical Device Act of 1990
this act requires medical device users to report to the manufacturer and FDA incidents that reasonably suggest that there is a probability that a medical device has caused or contributed to the death, serious injury, or illness of a patient.
scope of practice
professional duty limits based on state and federal law and on an individual's education and experience, and hospital policies.
tort law
describes any civil wrong independent of a contract
utilitarianism
a belief that the end result is a necessary condition for evaluating an action, and that the action must produce the greatest good for the greatest number
complaint
first pleading filed by plaintiffs attorney
defendant
the person accused
federal law
jurisdiction is given to federal courts in cases
guardian
court appointed protector for an individual
Iatrogenic injury
an injury resulting from the activity of health care professional
law, common
principles that have evolved and continue to evolve on the basis of court decisions
law, statutory
any law prescribed by the action of a legislature
Aeger primo
The patient first" motto of the AST
Doctrine of borrowed servant
the one controlling the employee has greater responsibility than the one paying the employee
Doctrine found corporate negligence
a health institution may be found negligent for failing to ensure that an acceptable level of patient care was provided.
Doctrine of forseeability
the ability to reasonably anticipate that harm or injury may result because of certain acts or omissions.
Doctrine of personal liability
Each person is responsible for his or her own conduct, even though others may be liable as well.
Doctrine of the reasonable prudent person
a person should perform an action as would and reasonable person of ordinary prudence
Primum non nocere
Above all, do no harm
Res ipsa loquitur
the thing speaks for itself
Respondeat superior
Let the master answer" an employer is vicariously liable for the behavior of an employee working within his or her scope of employment
intentional torts
defamation, libel, slander, assult, battery, false imprisonment, occur when a person has been intentionally or deliberately injured by another
unintentional torts
Patient misidentification; performing an incorrect procedure; foreign bodies left in patients secondary to incorrect sponge/instrument counts; patient burns; falls and positioning errors resulting in injury; improper handling, identification, or loss of s
general consent
consent given for all routine services, general diagnostic procedures, medical treatment, & other normal & routine touching
express consent
is a direct verbal or written statement granting permission for treatment
implied consent
type of consent in which a patient who is unable to give consent is given treatment under the legal assumption that he or she would want treatment
informed consent
a client's agreement to accept a course of treatment or a procedure after receiving complete information, including the risks of treatment and facts relating to it, from the physician
registration
A credentialing procedure whereby one's name is listed on a register as having paid a fee and/or met certain criteria within a profession
licensure
a government agency authorizes an individual to work in a given occupation after the individual has completed an approved education program and passed a state board test
certification
a record of being qualified to perform certain acts after passing an examination given by an accredited professional organization
universalism
suggests ethical standards apply absolutely across all cultures.
social relativism
Society determines the principles in order to protect and maximize personal welfare
Personal relativism
the individual determines the principles in order to protect & maximize personal welfare
Situational relativism
Universalism/absolutism, social relativism, personal relativism all have to be applied to a given circumstance and the circumstance dictates the rightness of the action
surgical conscience
The basis for the practice of strict adherence to sterile technique by the surgical team members. It Involves level of honesty and moral integrity, by asking, "is this task within the scope of my practice"?
Code of ethics for the Surgical Technologist of 1985
guidelines, usually expressed in a series of statements, which provide ethical standards of conduct for a profession.
1. To maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and patient care.
2. To hold in confidence, with respect to the patient's be
AHA patient's bill of rights
Adopted by American hospital association in 1972. A series of 12 rights afforded to patients during a hospital stay. In 2003 it became known as Patient care partnership
Patient Self-determination Act of 1990
Requires that hospitals and other health care facilities provide written information to patients about:
The right to make medical decisions.
The right to executive Advanced Directives.
The rights to refuse treatment.
autonomy
independence; the condition of having control over one's life, or self-governing
bioethics
A discipline dealing with the ethical implications of biological research methods and results, especially in medicine.
Incident reports
Tools used in risk management to report an accident or a deviation from policies or prescribed orders involving clients, employees, or visitors.
HIPAA
Established April 14, 2003. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law protecting the privacy of patient-specific health care information and providing the patient with control over how this information is used and distributed.
AST guideline statement - Neutral zone
AKA: "no pass or no touch" technique. An area designated within the sterile field in which sharps may be safely placed by one person and retrieved by another. Area that ensures no person-to-person passing occurs.
ABHES
accreditating bureau and health education schools, has been nationally recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a private, non-profit, independent accrediting agency since 1968.
cirriculum requirements:
*nine specific areas of study
*externship 16
plaintiff
one who brings a court action against another
allegation
A statement one expects to prove true