‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills

Undergraduate and postgraduate medical education entails acquiring and maintaining technical skills of various natures. Peripheral venous cannulation, splinting of fracture, wound suturing, venous cut-down and intra-osseous catheter placement for the most part, are considered minimally invasive proc...

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Main Authors: Gboyega A. Ogunbanjo, Donna Knapp van Bogaert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2008-08-01
Series:South African Family Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/1204
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author Gboyega A. Ogunbanjo
Donna Knapp van Bogaert
author_facet Gboyega A. Ogunbanjo
Donna Knapp van Bogaert
author_sort Gboyega A. Ogunbanjo
collection DOAJ
description Undergraduate and postgraduate medical education entails acquiring and maintaining technical skills of various natures. Peripheral venous cannulation, splinting of fracture, wound suturing, venous cut-down and intra-osseous catheter placement for the most part, are considered minimally invasive procedures. The traditional way of skill acquisition could be summarised by the adage “See one, do one, teach one”. Although the saying may be a misrepresentation of the reality, it should not be an optional educational approach. Patients undergoing a procedure under general anaesthesia are often not informed of the possibility that they could be used for “ghost procedures”- part or whole of the procedure is performed by a trainee. An attitude of “don't ask, don't tell” devalues patients' autonomy and the trainee's moral integrity. In view of the polarisation of the views about teaching, acquiring, and maintaining technical skills, institutions should consider and deliberate on these principles and reach consensus on a set of guidelines to clarify and limit the practice of learning technical skills on patients and on the newly dead. Informed consent procedures and requirements must be clearly established and communicated. The learning and proficiency practices should be restricted to the staff that can truly benefit from the experience. The practice of ‘don't ask, don't tell’ is not an option.
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series South African Family Practice
spelling doaj-art-a23d26345fa248ffbd2e48d38263dd3d2025-08-20T03:47:11ZengAOSISSouth African Family Practice2078-61902078-62042008-08-01504525410.1080/20786204.2008.10873738963‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skillsGboyega A. Ogunbanjo0Donna Knapp van Bogaert1Department of Family Medicine and PHC, University of LimpopoUniversity of the WitwatersrandUndergraduate and postgraduate medical education entails acquiring and maintaining technical skills of various natures. Peripheral venous cannulation, splinting of fracture, wound suturing, venous cut-down and intra-osseous catheter placement for the most part, are considered minimally invasive procedures. The traditional way of skill acquisition could be summarised by the adage “See one, do one, teach one”. Although the saying may be a misrepresentation of the reality, it should not be an optional educational approach. Patients undergoing a procedure under general anaesthesia are often not informed of the possibility that they could be used for “ghost procedures”- part or whole of the procedure is performed by a trainee. An attitude of “don't ask, don't tell” devalues patients' autonomy and the trainee's moral integrity. In view of the polarisation of the views about teaching, acquiring, and maintaining technical skills, institutions should consider and deliberate on these principles and reach consensus on a set of guidelines to clarify and limit the practice of learning technical skills on patients and on the newly dead. Informed consent procedures and requirements must be clearly established and communicated. The learning and proficiency practices should be restricted to the staff that can truly benefit from the experience. The practice of ‘don't ask, don't tell’ is not an option.https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/1204life saving skillslearningmedical educationproceduresnewly dead
spellingShingle Gboyega A. Ogunbanjo
Donna Knapp van Bogaert
‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
South African Family Practice
life saving skills
learning
medical education
procedures
newly dead
title ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
title_full ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
title_fullStr ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
title_full_unstemmed ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
title_short ‘Don't ask, don't tell’ Ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life-saving skills
title_sort don t ask don t tell ethical issues concerning and learning and maintaining life saving skills
topic life saving skills
learning
medical education
procedures
newly dead
url https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/1204
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