Worked Examples: Disagreement About a Clinical Decision

Clinical disagreements are among the highest-stakes SJT scenarios. They test whether you can advocate for patient safety while respecting the team structure. These scenarios are deliberately designed to create tension between following hierarchy and protecting patients.

This lesson works through detailed clinical disagreement scenarios with full option analysis.

---

The Core Decision Framework

When you disagree with a clinical decision, ask yourself three questions:

Question	If YES	If NO
Is patient safety at risk?	You must raise your concern, regardless of who made the decision	Consider whether it is a matter of preference or approach rather than safety
Have I raised my concern directly?	If dismissed, escalate	Raise it directly first — this is almost always the required first step
Am I qualified to assess this?	Express your concern clearly and specifically	Express your concern but acknowledge your limitations

---

Scenario 1: Wrong Drug, Right Intentions