Heather Conyard (2015) Case study

The nurses must follow the criteria set by their profession. The healthcare practitioner regulation national legislation compels nurses to document routine patient assessments. In the case study, the patient was taken to the hospital and put on medication, but her condition worsened. When the condition worsened, the respondent was on duty. The nurse made no attempt to document the patient’s condition or to notify the doctor so that they could decide on the best course of action (“”Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2010). A nurse’s guide to professional boundaries“”, 2010). I consider these as negligent as the health care providers have a responsibility to take care of the patient needs. They are therefore required to offer outstanding services and make reports on the case of any change they have noticed. Ethical values guide nurses, and they are supposed to help them on behavior and moral principles.

The activities the nurse needed to complete in the immediate situation.

From the immediate situation after analyzing the health status of the patient the medical care provider should have called to inform the doctor about the changes. The respondent could have also tried to tell other physicians in the premises of the facility on the immediate cause of action from the deteriorating condition. The accused was also required to write down her analysis to help in further treatment (Botrugno, 2017). Documentation helps the health care providers to know how the patient is responding to drugs and in the case, they are unresponsive they make decisions regarding the treatment they should take.

The actions/ inactions relating to individual professional accountability.

Commitment. The health care providers must perform duties according to the expectation of the profession (Shearer, 2015). The accused did not show any signs of compromise when the patient condition became worse. They are required to be passionate and be cautious about their actions to prevent premature deaths that could be controlled if the affected received adequate care when needed.

Obligation. The healthcare providers have to work according to the standards set by profession. In the case study, the nurse had a duty after analyzing the patient to inform the doctor of the difference in changes she had observed (Anselmi, Glasgow & Gambescia, 2014). She, however, did not communicate till the physician arrived. It is wrong according to the practice as she could have coordinated with other health care providers present at the facility to take the appropriate decision.

Willingness. The accused did not show an indication of willingness to help the patient. The act requires one to be concerned about the welfare of others by working hard to ensure they receive outstanding services (Finkelman & Kenner, 2013). It, however, did not happen and in the case, the patient died. It is a sign of negligence and action should be taken to prevent further loss. The nurses should be encouraged to have a positive attitude to their profession as it also supports the patients and promotes the recovery process.

Professional standards breached in the situation.

Professional standards require nurses to portray leadership qualities in the duties. They must be ethical and do what a reasonable man would do if put in a situation of uncertainty. They deal with human life there are therefore supposed to act first as every second wasted could lead to the loss of human life. The ANA standards of nursing practice 2016 were breached in the case study.

Communications. According to the standard 9 of the ANA standards of nursing practice 2016, The health care providers have a duty of communicating effectively in the respective area of practice. They have to inquire from the patient and also the next of kin to determine the appropriate care required. It is also essential to inform the others in practice about the findings as it helps everyone in the facility to know those who need adequate attention in the case of emergency. In the event of the accused did not communicate with the other assistants who were at the facility upon recognition of the changes she decided to be quiet about the fact and hence liable for misconduct at the installation (Chute, 2008). She could have shared opinions with the family members and other healthcare providers to ensure the patient needs are taken care of in time.

Consultation. The standard 5C of the ANA standards of nursing practice 2016, the prepared specialty to consult with the other healthcare providers to determine the appropriate choice. It requires them to involve the patient or the next of keen in the consultation process by ensuring they are aware of the next action they will take. In the case study, the accused did not inform anyone or try to consult, and it is a case of negligence, and professional misconduct as every person deserves fair treatment (DeLaune & Ladner, 2011). The families trust the health care providers that they will do all it takes to assist in improving the condition of the ill person. The accused, therefore, breached the standards and is guilt for a violation of the rights of the patient.

Assessment. The ANA standards of nursing practice 2016, 1 requires the health care provider to collect all the comprehensive data that is pertinent to the consumer healthcare needs. The process of collecting the data should be continuous and systematic. It should be collected from the family members and other healthcare providers who could have assessed the patient to develop the holistic picture of the needs of the patient. The data collection activities based on the immediate condition of the affected determine the priority of treatment that is required. In the case, the standards were breached because the evaluation was not carried out according to the criteria (Roberts, 2013). There was no documentation of the records based on the last assessment that is also essential for treatment.

Collaboration. According to the ANA standards that guide nursing practice 2016, the registered nurse is required to collaborate with the family of the affected, the healthcare consumer while discharging their duties in the practice of nursing. They must collaborate before formulating the goals and the plan of care that is appropriate for the patient, family, and the other healthcare providers. Partnering with other people helps them generate outcomes that are positive and hence improving service delivery and promoting the reputation of the institution (DeLaune & Ladner, 2011). In the above case, the collaboration did not take place with other health care providers, and it is wrong as when the condition worsened they could have shared ideas to determine the best action.

Professional behaviors that could have made a difference.

Quality of practice. The nurses are required to demonstrate that they can offer outstanding services at work. Quality includes the ability to document the data collected in a responsible and accountable manner. The reason why the nurses, participate in the inquiry process is to improve the type of services provided (Edmonds, Cashin & Heartfield, 2016). If the accused practiced in a manner that would improve the services provided by aiming to offer quality services through consultation, communication, and teamwork the patient’s life could have been saved.

Teamwork. The nurses cannot provide good services if they work individually. They deal with human life and working as a group helps them to share ideas and come up with decisions that are meant to benefit the patient. In the case study if the accused had collaborated with the other healthcare providers quick decisions could have been made to improve the outcome of the patient (Butts & Rich, 2015). Nurses also work for long hours, and if one is tired instead of giving substandard services they can seek assistance from the rest of the team and it will not only improve the outcome of the patient but also the reputation of the hospital.

Ethics. The nurses are supposed to be guided by moral principles as they help people make the appropriate choices (Butts & Rich, 2015). Morality distinguishes right from wrong. It dictates the individual the right thing when confronted with tough choices. In the case, if the nurse was ethical the accused could have gone to seek emergency treatment when the condition became worse.

Own preparedness for professional practice

From the case study, I have learned that consultation is essential in the practice of nursing. Human beings cannot be master of everything, and there is need to consult with the other healthcare providers to determine the necessary cause of action (Shearer, 2015). Human life matter and it is essential that we give them the appropriate care that is required to save their lives. I plan to work as a team when given an opportunity to practice medicine and use all means possible to proper consultation and communication to offer stupendous services.

Conclusion

The nursing profession is guided by standards that govern and regulate the conduct of those in practice. They should, therefore, abide by the requirements and work to offer excellent services to their patients. Life is precious, and not a single person is supposed to die because of negligence. Consultation can solve problems that are hard and similarly communication aids in quick decision-making with the help of the other healthcare providers. They should also be guided by their ethical and moral values as they help people to make the appropriate choices at work.

References

Anselmi, K., Glasgow, M., & Gambescia, S. (2014). Using a Nursing Student Conduct Committee to Foster Professionalism Among Nursing Students. Journal Of Professional Nursing, 30 (6), 481-485. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2014.04.002

Botrugno, C. (2017). Towards an ethics for telehealth. Nursing Ethics, 096973301770500. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733017705004

Butts, J., & Rich, K. (2015). Nursing Ethics. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Chute, C. (2008). Commentary: Nursing practice content standards. Nursing Outlook, 56 (5), 267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2008.03.005

DeLaune, S., & Ladner, P. (2011). Fundamentals of nursing. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

Edmonds, L., Cashin, A., & Heartfield, M. (2016). Comparison of Australian specialty nurse standards with registered nurse standards. International Nursing Review, 63 (2), 162-179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/inr.12235

Finkelman, A., & Kenner, C. (2013). Professional nursing concepts: Competencies for quality leadership (p. 70). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2010). A nurse’s guide to professional boundaries. (2010). Nursingmidwiferyboard. Gov. au. Retrieved 1 October 2017, from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD10%2f1347&dbid=AP&chksum=bes7sYtZAWnmggO%2fzV0uBQ%3d%3d.

Roberts, D. (2013). Psychosocial nursing care. Berkshire: Open University Press.

Shearer, J. (2015). Critique of Nursing as Caring Theory: Aesthetic Knowing and Caring in Online Learning. International Journal for Human Caring, 19 (2), 45-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.20467/1091-5710-19.2.45