Team Collaboration · Rating sample

You are Dr. Julian Roy, a PGY2 Family Medicine resident in a busy academic community…

Read the scenario, answer it, then compare yourself to the answer key. Every option includes a rationale and a transferable principle.

v2045Team CollaborationRatinghardCollaborator + Communicator, Professional

How desirable is each of the following responses by Dr. Julian Roy in this situation? (1 = Very desirable; 2 = Somewhat desirable; 3 = Neither desirable nor undesirable; 4 = Somewhat undesirable; 5 = Very undesirable) Consider each option independently; several may share a rating.

You are Dr. Julian Roy, a PGY2 Family Medicine resident in a busy academic community clinic. The attending physician, Dr. David Sterling, has been delayed at the hospital for over an hour, causing afternoon appointments to back up severely. In the minor procedure room, Gail Simmons, a senior clinic nurse, is setting up a tray for a knee joint aspiration on an elderly patient with acute effusion. She instructs Chloe Martin, a third-year medical student, to perform the procedure independently right now, stating that doing so is the only way to keep the clinic on schedule and avoid cancelling appointments. Chloe looks nervous and pulls you aside into the hallway, whispering that she has only observed a joint aspiration once on a plastic model and feels completely unequipped to do it alone.

Desirability scale: 1 very desirable, 2 somewhat desirable, 3 neither desirable nor undesirable, 4 somewhat undesirable, 5 very undesirable. Rate every option independently. Scores may repeat.

A. Inform Gail that Chloe cannot perform the procedure unsupervised and must wait for proper oversight.

B. Encourage Chloe to attempt the procedure herself, assuring her that Gail can assist with technique.

C. Supervise Chloe directly through the aspiration if your own clinical competencies and schedule allow.

D. Phone Dr. Sterling to ask whether he approves of Chloe doing the aspiration with Gail.

E. Reassure the patient and explain that the procedure will be slightly delayed until a qualified supervisor is ready.

F. Reprimand Gail in front of the clinic team for pressuring a junior student into an unsafe action.

Rate each option independently

Samples are graded anonymously. Nothing is saved.

Show answer and rationale

A. Inform Gail that Chloe cannot perform the procedure unsupervised and must wait for proper oversight.

Key: 1

Clear communication with nursing colleagues regarding learner scope and safety boundaries is essential. This firmly protects the patient from an uncertified invasive procedure while taking the pressure off the hesitant medical student. It maintains professional respect while establishing unambiguous safety limits.

Firmly enforce learner scope boundaries to protect patient safety regardless of workflow.

B. Encourage Chloe to attempt the procedure herself, assuring her that Gail can assist with technique.

Key: 5

Encouraging an untrained student to perform an invasive procedure without physician supervision violates patient safety standards and educational ethics. While nurses possess deep procedural knowledge, joint aspiration requires appropriate medical training and credentialed supervision. This exposes the patient to severe harm and infection.

Never push an untrained trainee to perform invasive procedures without qualified supervision.

C. Supervise Chloe directly through the aspiration if your own clinical competencies and schedule allow.

Key: 1

This response protects patient safety, supports the medical student's learning in a safe environment, and assists the clinic's workflow. It embodies excellent leadership by stepping in to bridge a staffing gap within the resident's scope. It balances clinical education with operational demands.

Support junior learner education and patient safety through direct resident supervision.

D. Phone Dr. Sterling to ask whether he approves of Chloe doing the aspiration with Gail.

Key: 4

Phoning an attending about whether an inexperienced student who explicitly stated they feel incompetent can do an invasive procedure alone is an abdication of on-site judgement. The resident already knows the safety standard is breached; escalating this question to an off-site attending wastes time and delays an obvious local safety intervention.

Intervene immediately on local safety hazards rather than seeking redundant remote permission.

E. Reassure the patient and explain that the procedure will be slightly delayed until a qualified supervisor is ready.

Key: 2

Transparent patient communication manages expectations and preserves trust without revealing internal team friction or blaming colleagues. It protects safety by delaying the procedure until proper supervision arrives. While very good, actively providing or arranging that supervision makes it even more complete.

Communicate procedural delays transparently to patients while securing appropriate supervision.

F. Reprimand Gail in front of the clinic team for pressuring a junior student into an unsafe action.

Key: 4

While Gail's directive was unsafe, public reprimands destroy interprofessional trust, humiliate colleagues, and worsen team conflict. Safety corrections should be firm, immediate, and direct, but delivered professionally and privately. It damages workplace psychological safety.

Correct unsafe interprofessional instructions respectfully without resorting to public shaming.

Exam context: FMProC assesses team collaboration alongside three other attributes. This is an unofficial worked example, not a live exam item.

Educational scenario only. Not clinical or professional advice.