Chapter 01 - Introduction to IV Therapy: Roles, Responsibilities, and Legal Issues Flashcards
(29 cards)
abandonment
Unilateral termination of care by the EMT without the patients consent and without making provisions for transferring care to another medical professional with the skills and training necessary to meet the needs of the patient.
acts allowed
The tasks that an EMT is allowed to perform, as defined by the state EMS regulatory agency and physician advisory.
advance directive
Written documentation that specifies medical treatment for a competent patient should the patient become unable to make decisions; also called a living will or health care directive.
assault
Unlawfully placing another person in fear of bodily harm.
battery
Any act of touching a patient or providing emergency care without consent.
breach of duty
A situation where the EMT does not meet his or her obligation to provide the expected standard of care. Examples include abandonment, inappropriate care, or operating outside of the EMT’s scope of practice.
civil law
The form of law that deals with disagreements between, or wrongs against, individuals or organizations.
criminal law
The form of law that deals with wrongs against society, and includes assault, battery, and false imprisonment.
damages
Compensation for injury awarded by a court.
defendant
In a civil suit, the person against whom a legal action is brought.
do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) order
A type of advanced directive that describes which life sustaining procedures should be performed in the event of a sudden deterioration in a patients medical condition; also see DNR.
do not resuscitate (DNR) order
A type of advanced directive that describes which life sustaining procedures should be performed in the event of a sudden deterioration in a patients medical condition; also see DNAR.
durable medical power of attorney
A type of advanced directive executed by a competent adult that appoints another person to make medical treatment decisions on his or her behalf in the event that the person making the appointment loses decision making capacity.
duty to act
A medicolwegal term relating to certain personnel who either by statue or by function have a responsibility to provide care.
ethics
The philosophy of right and wrong, of moral duties, and of ideal professional behavior.
false imprisonment
The confinement of a person without legal authority or the persons consent.
homeostasis
A balance of all systems in the body.
leader
A person who can take charge of a situation and maintain the focus of the team to accomplish a goal.
living will
A type of advanced directive, generally requiring a precondition for withholding resuscitation when the patient is incapacitated.
negligence
Failure to provide the same care that a person with similar training would provide.
patient refusal waiver
A document or form that the EMT presents to the patient for signature that indicates that the patient understands why he or she is refusing treatment, exactly what he or she is refusing, and the consequences of refusal.
plaintiff
In a civil suit, the person who brings a legal action against another person.
professionalism
An attitude where the EMT should do all he or she can do to meet all the standards of the profession and conduct himself or herself in a manner that brings honor to the profession.
proximate cause
The specific link or causal relationship between an alleged act of negligence and the actual injury that resulted or the damages that occurred. It is one of the items that must be proven in order for an EMT to be held liable for negligence.
