Ethics and Safety
VALUES AND ETHICS
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Values
Moral Values
Ethics
Ethical Dilemma
Legal Rights
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
 ARRT Standards of Ethics
 Responsibility and Accountability
 Resolving Ethical problems
Resolving Ethical problems
 List everyone involved and identify
perceptions
 Presume everyone has patient’s best
interest in mind
 Gather relevant information
 Clarify ethical issues
 Determine strengths of each resolution
 Use best resolution
7 Biomedical Ethics
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Autonomy
Nonmaleficence
Beneficence
Justice
Fidelity
Veracity
Confidentiality
LEGAL CONSIDERATION
 State Licensing
 Standards of Care: Professional, Clinical,
Quality Performance Standards
 Informed Consent
 Incident Reports
 Good Samaritan Laws
 Patient Rights
BASIC LEGAL CONCEPTS
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Criminal Law
Civil Law
Negligence and Malpractice
Assault and Battery
Invasion of Privacy
False Imprisonment
Defamation of Character
CRIMINAL
 Individual who threatens society
 Misdemeanors or felonies
 Result is punishment of person accused
CIVIL
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Precedents and principles
Torts
Intentional and Unintentional
Compensates client, not to punish accused
NEGLIGENCE
 When a healthcare professional provides
substandard care.
MALPRACTICE
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Result of professional misconduct
Patient must prove:
Tech owed a duty to the patient
Tech didn’t carry out duty
Patient was injured
Patient’s injury was a result of tech’s failure
to carry out the duty
Lack of Communication
 Most common cause for malpractice
 “A patient fell and was injured in the radiology
department of a hospital. The radiologist’s
defense was that the nurse had not filled out the
requisition adequately; therefore, he had had no
knowledge of the patient’s history of being unable
to walk for 6 months. However, the court held the
Radiologist liable for negligence in not remaining
alert to the reasonable possibility that the patient
might faint and fall.”
Doctrine of Respondeat Superior
 Employer will be held liable for an
employee’s negligent act.
– Employer-employee relationship
– Employee must be functioning under the
authority of employer
 Master-servant relationship: right to control
employee’s activities, supervise, pay wage,
discharge employee
LEGAL CONCEPTS CONT…
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Assault
Battery
Invasion of Privacy
False Imprisonment
Defamation of Character
SAFETY
Emergency Preparedness
 Weather Alerts
 Bomb Threats
 Disaster Plan
Safety Guidelines
Walk, don’t run
Obey warnings
Move cautiously
Do not obstruct vision
Never use hands to
compress trash
 Clean spills quickly
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 Use locks and good
body mechanics
 Never leave patient
unattended on an x-ray
table
 Keep floors and
hallways unobstructed
MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL
SAFETY
 Visual Inspection
 Medical Device Reporting
Electrical Safety Guidelines
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Never attempt repair
Never pull on cords
Do not use multiple adapters or ext cords
Always use 3-pronged plugs
Avoid contact with water; hands dry
Do not use equipment with frayed cords
Keep cords out of doorways and walkways
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
 OSHA Hazardous Communication Rules
 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
PREVENTION OF FALLS
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Learn condition of patient
Keep floors clear
Side rails always up
Wheelchairs locked
NEVER leave patient unattended
FIRE SAFETY
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Pull alarm closest to you
Remove persons in danger
Turn off equipment and O2
Close all doors and windows
RACE Guidelines
 R – Remove and Rescue
 A – Alert, activate alarm and announce
 C – Contain by closing doors and windows
 E - Extinguish
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
 Paper and wood: Soda and acid water
 Rubbish or wood: Dry Chemical
 Grease or electrical: Carbon Dioxide
 Rubbish, wood, grease, anesthetic:
Antifreeze or water
RADIATION SAFETY
 ALARA
 Time
 Distance
 Shielding
 Hang lead aprons