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On a ward round, you overhear your registrar making an inappropriate comment to the Year 3 medical students about a patient that is morbidly obese. How do you handle this situation?

Option 1: Confront the registrar privately and express your discomfort.
Option 2: Report the incident to the hospital's human resources department.
Option 3: Discuss the inappropriate comment with the medical students to get their perspective.
Option 4: Ignore the incident and focus on your responsibilities.

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

Dealing with inappropriate comments in the healthcare setting involves direct confrontation, formal reporting, discussion to support affected individuals, or, less advisably, ignoring the incident which could perpetuate a disrespectful culture.

Step-by-step explanation:

When encountering a situation where a registrar has made an inappropriate comment about a patient, it is important to manage it in a professional and ethical manner. Option 1, confronting the registrar privately and expressing discomfort, often serves as an immediate and direct approach to address the issue and prevent further occurrences. Option 2, reporting the incident to the hospital's human resources department, is a formal step that can initiate a proper investigation and result in structured interventions. Option 3, discussing the inappropriate comment with the medical students to get their perspective, helps to provide support to those who may have been impacted by the comment and reinforces professional standards. Option 4, ignoring the incident, does not contribute to a culture of respect and can indirectly endorse such behavior. Handling these sorts of interpersonal problems with other medical staff is crucial for maintaining a respectful and supportive healthcare environment.

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