Professional Issues in Nursing Essay

As a nurse, I make judgement that would affect forbearings health each day, I am aware that I turn out a wide duty to ensure my endurings safety to maintain the humans trust (Chitty & Black, 2011). After learning this module, it helped me acquire adequate knowledge to cave in manage legal and ethical issues at work. For the sake of providing a gamey quality of attention to my diligents, I must be well-educated in both (Croke, 2003). Nowadays, the public is aware of legal issues and organized information is forthcoming through the internet. As a result, medical checkup litigation claims have been chop-chop increasing. Most claims against nurses are due to medical oversight (Tay, 2001). I am liable for my own pr passageice, and if I fail to act as a reasonable heady person in certain conditions, I whitethorn be liable for medical negligence (Chitty & Black, 2011).Research shows several errors principal to treat negligence. For instance, a nurse fails to company stre amers of premeditation, fails to use equipment in a responsible manner, fails to communicate, fails to document, fails to assess and monitor and fails to act as a endurings advocate (Croke, 2003). In 1998, Hurwitz states in raise to prove medical negligence, the forbearing plaintiff must prove The defendant nurse have the plaintiff a duty of flush and injureed in this duty of care by failing to erect the required reasonable standard of care. so this breach of duty of care caused the plaintiff damage. I would like to cover a case encounter in my practice for example to speculate my knowledge. A 55 year old patient of admitted for chest disquiet and on telemetry monitoring. This patient requested for shower, a nurse removed his telemetry and was study to assist the patient during shower, further the patient insisted to shower on his own. and then the nurse left the patient alone without instructing him to call for help if he felt any discomfort. After a while, the nur se went back to check, patient was found collapsed on the toilet floor. The issue that came across my mind is If I am that nurse, am I negligent?Learning point 1 Duty of careA patient went to the hospital and hospital is concordant for patients give-and-take, there will be a turn out between the hospital and patient. The hospital has the duty to provide quality treatment to the patient. Nurse as the employee, if he acts badly, it can be reasonably foreseen that thepatient may be injured. Therefore the nurse owes a duty of care in treating the patient (Staunton & Whyburn, 1996). In this scenario, I have a pose with my patient therefore I owe a duty to provide reasonable and competent care to my patient (Hurwitz, 1998).Learning point 2 Standard of careThe nursing standard of care is what the reasonably prudent nurse did in the same circumstances (Staunton & Whyburn, 1996). In Singapore, we have the standard of care and code of ethics for nurses and midwifes as our guideline for pr actice, it is our responsibility to follow the standard ( Singapore nursing board, 2011). In this case, the patients stopping point to shower without assistance, is his autonomy (Tay, 2001). According to value statement of code of ethics, I value the patients individual needs and privacy, and also respected and promoted patients autonomy by abandoning patient to do so (Singapore breast feeding Board, 2011). In this case, there is a conflict between respecting patients autonomy and providing care in a responsible and responsible manner. I need to make a choice between twain alternatives. There is no absolutely right or wrong closing (Keilman & Dontje, 2002).The decision made by me is to respect the patients autonomy, but this may violate the principle of non-maleficence as this decision of allowing patient to shower alone may delay the time to find out patient has collapsed, then it unintentionally caused harm, so I failed to provide in a responsible and accountable care (Chitt y & Black, 2011). If I choose to provide care in a responsible and accountable manner, I should have insisted to fall out patient, but by doing so I may violate patients autonomy. According to standard of care of nurses and midwives, I should communicate with guest effectively and provide appropriate information to the patient (Singapore nursing board, 2011). I should inform patient that he is on high find of create heart attack and shall be monitored closely. Failure to communicate effectively leads a breach of duty.Learning point 3 Avoid medical negligenceTo avoid medical negligence, I think the most important is to preserve the breach of duty of care. According to Bolam test, I will not breach the duty of care if I followed the standard of care (Hurwitz, 1998). In order to meet the standard of care, I need to be a knowledgeable and a safe practitioner,be technically competent, and keep up-to-date with up-to-date practice (Chitty & Black, 2011). We must be familiarized with t he standard in nursing practice. When we use them to guide our daily practice, we are acting in the scoop out interest of the patient (Singapore Nursing Board, 2011). When you do decision making, ask yourself, have you followed the standard of care? Nowadays, the nurses are also being encouraged to act as advocates for their patients, to safeguard standards of care and to speak out where those standards may be at risk. (McHale & Tingle, 2001, p36). I think, our role as an advocate needs to improve, as nurses do not have the courage to interrogate the doctors order.Clinical improvementIf this scenario happens again, what do you think will help the patient? I feel there are some good strategies to puzzle Set hospital policy and educate the provide to provide omnibus(prenominal) information (Chitty & Black, 2011), for example, they must understand that for clients on telemetry monitoring, patient should not be left alone. The patient must be warned that he is at risk of heart attac k. To persuade patient for his desired action, and for his own safety, he should allow assistance. If patient is stubborn and insists to shower without supervision, delegate a staff to understudy at the shower door, the hospital need to ensure adequate staff patient ratio (Chitty & Black, 2011).ReferencesChitty, K. K., & Black, B. P. (2011). Professional nursing concepts & challenges (6th ed.). Maryland Heights, Mo. Saunders/Elsevier. Croke, E. M., (2003). Nurses, Negligence, and Malpractice. American diary of Nursing, 103(9). 54-63. Retrieved from http//www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/journalarticle?article_id=423284 Hurwitz, B. (1998). Clinical guidelines and the law negligence, discretion, and judgement. UK Radcliffe Medical Press. McHale, J. V., & Tingle, J. (2001). Law and nursing (2nd ed.). Oxford Butterworth/Heinemann. Singapore Nursing Board. (2011). Codes of Ethics & Professional Conduct. Retrieved from http//www.healthprofessionals.gov.sg/content/dam/hprof/snb/docs/publications /Code%20of%20Ethics%20and%20Professional%20Conduct%20%2815%20Mar%201999%29.pdf