Question

385 Inappropriate Touching in the Operating Room Dale Buchbinder anesthesia for a patient undergoing ankle surgery. The patient is doe and her vital signs are good. You look up and see that the podiatric (foot) sengon is at the wrong end of the table and appears to be fondling the breas You are giving of the patient. You can't believe your eyes and ask, "What are you doing?" The surgeon stops touching the patient and looks up with a surprised expression. The nurse and the podiatric resident, who are present in the OR are wide-eyed. The surgeon stops the inappropriate behavior. The surgery then proceeds without any further problems. At the end of the case, after the podiatrist has left the room, you ask the nurse and resident if they also observed the same behavior. The nurse confirms your observation and states she will only report the incident if you report it, too. You and the OR nurse meet with the head nurse of the operating room, as well as the of Surgery and recount the story. Both administrators request the observa- put in writing as an incident report, which you and the OR nurse do. Chief hen the surgeon is confronted with this digression from acceptable profes- sonal behaviors, he has no reasonable or plausible excuse for his behavior. sional beha Discussion Questions 1. What are the facts in this situation? o you think the podiatric resident would not agree to report the behavior? 309 ould anyone who observed the behavior feel obligated to report it? Why

Answer 1

1.The main facts in this situation is the misbehaviour of a surgeon who are highly respected and trusted in the medical field.It is a form of sexual abuse or a sexual misconduct by the surgeon to a patient

2.Any one who sees this type of incidents are obliged to report this as it is a matter of self respect to the patient and a professional misconduct by a surgeon

The resident podiatrist may avoided this from reporting because it is a matter of concern that it may damage the image of entire surgeon team (doctors) also he was a resident whose grading has to done and his performance to be approved by a senior surgeon

3.The board is supposed to do the following

• issue a memo to the surgeon
• Imprisonment up to 2,3 ,4 or even up to 20 years jail is possible
• The surgron needs to pay a fine
• Temporary suspension for practicing

4.The State Medical Board has to be informed for the misconduct first .In order to avoid legal consequences like a hospital hiring a staff who is of such type can be sued by the patient in later days for negligently hiring a staff who inculcate professional misconduct or sexual assault, so the hospital has yo report this to police to take appropriate actions on the surgeon

5.This types of unpleasant things can be avoided in the following ways

• Hospital screening the professionals right in their interview for their conduct
• Forming a strict hospital policy
• A sexual assault committee shoukd be set up to address these types of problems
• Education and training in regards to how to avoid it and whom to be informed.