"First, I would verify for myself that what I saw or heard was what I thought I saw or heard. Reporting such an incident can have serious repercussions, so I would want to make sure I am right. I could do this simply by asking the person in question. If the answer verified what I thought, I would report the incident to Administration for the correct protocol to be put in place; if he or she was dishonest with me or evasive, I would still report it accordingly. And if I misunderstood and was incorrect in my assumptions, I would be thankful I had the wisdom to make sure of things."

Asking you if you're a coward is a rude way to ask this same question. Of course, it's the polite way that wins the day. The interviewer wants to know if you have what it takes to do the right thing when it happens. Also, most hospitals have protocols for how to handle these types of problems, and they want to make sure you'll follow these protocols. So, two answers: you'll do the right thing AND you'll do the right thing the way they want you to do it.

"If I witnessed something I thought was unethical, immoral, or even illegal, I'd report it up the chain of command so that everyone could be assured it would be handled properly."