The medical assistant is having difficulty taking mrs. anderson’s pulse and respirations. she finally locates the radial pulse and then begins to count. there are some irregularities in the pulse, so the medical assistant counts it for one full minute. mrs. anderson is somewhat alarmed at how long this is taking and asks the medical assistant if something is wrong. the medical assistant then takes her finger off the pulse and tells mrs. anderson to breathe normally while she is counting the respirations.

1. should the medical assistant tell the patient about her irregular pulse?

2. how could knowing this information affect the patient?

3. what mistake did the medical assistant make when counting the respirations?

kelly escorts mrs. leonard into the exam room for her yearly pap test and pelvic exam. kelly didn’t have time to clean the room before escorting mrs. leonard to the back office, so she asks her to have a seat on the stool while she tidies the room. she disposes of the used gown and table paper and sets up all the supplies. she then asks mrs. leonard to disrobe and prepares her for the exam.

1. what was kelly’s first big mistake?

2. what should mrs. leonard have been instructed to do before disrobing?

3. should equipment and supplies be set up in the presence of the patient?

madison has not had time to sterilize the surgical instruments on the counter from an earlier procedure because she has been so busy with patient care. a coworker says that his provider needs the instruments for a procedure right away. madison explains that the instruments have been cleaned and disinfected but not sterilized.

1. what should madison tell her coworker?

2. should these instruments be used anyway?

3. what would the repercussions be if the instruments were used prior to being sterilized?