Abstract

This commentary describes a new physician who encountered a patient in crisis in a nonmedical environment. It discusses professional obligations, ethical principles, errors committed, and reasoning behind such errors. Unusual circumstances, uncertainty about how to properly identify oneself as a physician, self-doubt, and discomfort with practicing outside one's scope of training are recognized as reasons behind these errors. Medical students should be reminded of their ethical obligation to offer emergency care within their limitations, instructed how to identify themselves, and guided to become competent team leaders. Resident doctors should continue to receive instruction as they internalize ethical principles and identify their scopes of practice. Practicing physicians should be competent in offering basic emergency care if needed.

Authors

Scarff JR, Musick DW

Institution

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. jonathan.scarff@louisville.edu

Source

The Journal of clinical ethics 23:2 2012 pg 175-6

MeSH

Emergency Treatment
Ethics, Medical
Humans
Internship and Residency
Moral Obligations
Narration
Physicians
Seizures
Students, Medical

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22822708