Insertion of Femoral-Vein Catheters for Practice by Medical House Officers during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

The care of patients in teaching hospitals presents a persistent challenge: a primary commitment to the health of patients must be combined with the educational goals of the teaching institution. These goals include the mastery of procedural skills by house officers. When a medical novice attempts to perform an invasive procedure, the risk of harm to the patient increases, even when the novice is under expert supervision. This risk is accepted for several reasons: it is in society's interest to train physicians to perform procedures; the inexperience of house officers is accepted by patients (or their surrogates) through explicit or . . .