Delegation in Nursing Essay Paper

Delegation in Nursing
Delegation in Nursing

Delegation in Nursing

Delegation in Nursing refers to assigning of nursing duties to a junior nursing staff or an individual who has not undergone nursing training. It is an important aspect of nursing since it enables patients to receive healthcare services any time they are required. It is important to note that the delegating nurse remains accountable for the activities delegated. Consequently, they are as well responsible for the activities they delegate (Berman et al. 2012).

In delegation in nursing, there are some factors which the registered nurse should factor out. They are referred to as the rights of delegation. To begin with, the should assess a situation and make a decision on which activity can be delegated to another individual, that is, the right task for the right patient (Dalton & Levett-Jones, 2015). The task to be delegated depends on the staff’s level of competency and availability of supervision.

Therefore, the registered nurse should make judgment on the level of supervision which would fit the circumstance (Cowan, Brunero, Lamont & Joyce, 2015). Also, the nurse should identify the healthcare needs to be addressed by the delegated task and what will be the outcome. Delegation in nursing has to consider Nursing ethics.

Moreover, the RN takes into account the skills and capabilities of the delegatee to be in a position to assign a given task. Finally, there should be clear communication on what, how and when a particular task should be done. It involves the purpose, the goal and limitations. Finally, it is the responsibility of the registered nurse to monitor and after that evaluate both the patient and the performance of the staff for the delegated tasks (Dalton & Levett-Jones, 2015). The RN intervenes for the patient and provides feedback so as t enhance improvement in case a similar function is given out.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, a registered nurse is usually held accountable for direct supervision and delegated tasks. During a nurses period of practice, there are so many issues that come up, and she is required to analyze and think critically pertaining an issue and come up with an intervention (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2012).

A registered nurse is also supposed to utilize delegation, supervision, and coordination to ensure the best outcome for the patients. The registered nurse delegates nursing activities to enrolled nurses and others in line with their scope of practice or any other clinical or non-clinical personnel. Also, the RN should ensure that the delegated method is safe and right through provision of proper direction and supervision.

To begin with, I would attend to the collapsed post-operative patient who had collapsed. This is an emergency and needs to be attended to immediately so as to offer resuscitation. Meanwhile, I would delegate to the nurse assistant to attend to Mrs. Smith visitor, and clear information would be given to her on the activities to carry out.

Also, I would delegate to the enrolled nurse to give medication to the patient awaiting cardiac catheterization. Then, the enrolled nurse and I would attend to the patient with the cannula that had tissued to ensure she receives her due medication. The registered nurse would demonstrate to the enrolled nurse on how it has done since she has a responsibility to teach her colleagues. I would then delegate the Clerk to liaise with the maintenance to attend to the blocked toilet

Finally, I would go to discuss the medication error that had occurred the previous week with the medical consultant The Registered Nurse remains accountable for all activities that take place in her unit (Berman et al. 2012). It is, therefore, to follow the rights of delegation so as to ensure best patient care outcomes. Finally, the enrolled nurse would be requested to administer medication to the patient before It is important to note that, after delegation, a registered nurse should accept accountability for decisions actions and responsibilities for the actions of the others whom she has delegated responsibilities.

References

Berman, A., Snyder, S.J., Kozier, B., Erb, G., Levett-Jones T., Dwyer, T., Hales, M., Harvey, N., & Stanley, D. (2012). Kozier and erb’s  fundamentals of nursing (2nd ed.). Vol 2, NSW:  Pearson Sydney Australia.

Cowan, D., Brunero, S., Lamont, S., & Joyce, M. (2015). Direct care activities for assistants in nursing in inpatient mental health settings in Australia: A modified Delphi study. Collegian, 22(1), 53-60.

Cowen, P. S., & Moorhead, S. (2014). Current issues in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Dalton, L., Gee, T., & Levett-Jones, T. (2015). Using clinical reasoning and simulation-based education to ‘flip’the Enrolled Nurse curriculum. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 33(2), 29-35.

Duffield, C., Roche, M., Twigg, D., Williams, A., & Clarke, S. (2016). A protocol to assess the impact of adding nursing support workers to ward staffing. Journal of advanced nursing.

Health Sciences.

Lee, C. Y., Beanland, C., Goeman, D., Johnson, A., Thorn, J., Koch, S., & Elliott, R. A. (2015). Evaluation of a support worker role, within a nurse delegation and supervision model, for provision of medicines support for older people living at home: the Workforce Innovation for Safe and Effective (WISE) Medicines Care study. BMC health services research, 15(1), 460.

McCarthy, G., Cornally, N., O’Mahoney, C., White, G., & Weathers, E. (2013). Emergency nurses: procedures performed and competence in practice. International Emergency Nursing, 21(1), 50-57.

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Nursing Legal Obligations

Nursing Legal Obligations
Nursing Legal Obligations

Nursing Legal Obligations

Nursing practice is bounded by various legal obligations. These laws are in accordance with the nursing ethics which guides the nature of conduct of nurses. In Australia, there is a specific nursing code of conduct that each nurse is expected to abide by in their operation. Moreover, the Parliament of Australia enacted a social act that nurses should operate within.

The primary objectives of having to adhere to legal obligations in nursing is to protect all the individuals who are affected by the nursing practice and the nurses themselves. According to Day (2007), nurses often face situations that require quick and critical decision making. In such circumstances, Carryer, et.al, (2013) argues that if a nurse fails to consider the overlaying rules regarding what to do, he or she may end up making a mistake that could be punishable by law.

For instance, the Australian rights of terminally act introduced a law which allows active voluntary euthanasia. However, this may go against the law if a nurse carries out euthanasia with consent from the family members of the sick person and not that of the sick individual. Even though the nursing legal and ethical conduct laws are different, they operate through closely related frameworks. However, nursing legal obligations regarding mental health sometimes crashers with the ethical requirement of the nursing code.

Under my specialty which is mental health, the law has set out directives of when a person can be admitted (Carryer, et.al, 2013). In the requirement, a single medical officer or nurse cannot fully ascertain that one needs to be admitted but it has to be agreed by several health officers. This legal obligations may be good in preventing unwarranted admissions, however, it sometimes contradicts with the nurses’ believe of offering help.

Mental ill individuals might not always know that they are sick, there is need for someone else to point that out. Before that happens, one cannot be treated for mental illness. This becomes problematic in a situation where there is an urgent need to treat a mental ill person yet the legal obligations procedure of ascertaining that the person is ill has not occurred.

These individuals might be involved in self destructive activities of which another person may not point out easily. Therefore, as per Doran, et.al (2015), if the proper procedure for identifying their problems is followed, treatments can be administered when it is too late. My resolution is that I will offer consultative help to the individual first before administering any medication. This way, I will be able to offer help them in advance and yet again still remain within the legal obligations confines of the Australian nursing laws.

References

Lennard-Palmer, L. (2012). The use of simulation for pediatric oncology nursing safety principles: Ensuring competent practice through the use of a mnemonic, chemotherapy road maps and case-based learning. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 27(3), 283-286.

Trinkoff, A.M., Geiger-Brown, J.M., Caruso, C.C., Lipscomb, J.A., Johantgen, M., Nelson, A.L., Sattler, B.A., & Selby, V.L. (2008). Chapter 39. Personal safety for nurses. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Retrieved from: http://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/TrinkoffA_PSN.pdf

Day, G. E. (2007). Legal issues for nursing students. Australian Health Review, 31(2), 315. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/231757472?accountid=45049 

Carryer, J., Gardner, G., Dunn, S., & Gardner, A. (2013). The capability of nurse practitioners may be diminished by controlling protocols. Australian Health Review, 31(1), 108-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/231731777?accountid=45049

Doran, Evan, BA, Grad Dip Health Soc Sci, P., Fleming, Jennifer, BA, M.H.A., PhD., Jordens, Christopher, BA, M.P.H., PhD., Stewart, Cameron L, Bec, L.L.B., PhD., Letts, J., M. Bioeth, & Kerridge, Ian H, MPhil(Cantab), F.R.A.C.P., F.R.C.P.A. (2015). Managing ethical issues in patient care and the need for clinical ethics support. Australian Health Review, 39(1), 44-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1673832440?accountid=45049  

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Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing
Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

In their line of duty, perioperative nurses are bound to the duty of confidentiality and ethics. However, in executing their responsibilities, perioperative nurses find themselves in dilemma situations with regards to ethical issues and confidentiality concerns accompanying the sharing of patient’s health information (Ulrich et al., 2010). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010), ensuring confidentiality of the health information of a patient I at the core of nurses establishing and maintaining trusting relationships with patients, patient’s families, and other health professionals.

With no assurance regarding the confidentiality of their health information, patients could be hesitant to provide sensitive yet important information regarding their health status/condition that can help in provision of high quality care (Price, 2015). However, perioperative nurses are faced with dilemma in situations where they consider appropriate to share a patient’s confidential health information to his or her family member(s) or caregiver for purposes of ensuring the patient continue to receive quality and safe health care.

The ethical implication of this action is the violation of ethics duty by the nurse as well as the potential loss of trust in the nurse and other health professionals in the institution by the patient or family should it be discovered that such confidential information was shared.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010), patients have an inherent right to autonomy, which allows for their informed consent or the withheld of this consent. The law of informed consent holds that patients have the right to withhold personal information unless it is required by law to provide such information; or make decisions concerning their own treatment (Taylor, 2014).

Thus, perioperative nurses have ethical and legal obligation to respect and protect patient’s right to autonomy by allowing the patients to make their own treatment decisions or not to provide certain personal information deemed confidential. However, nurses may find themselves in a dilemma in situations where protecting and respecting patient’s right to autonomy could result in harm to the patient (Olson & Stokes, 2016).

For instance, in situations such as multiple series of surgery or uneventful incidents, letting the patient make his/ her own treatment decisions or withhold important information to health care practitioners could result in self-harm or harm others altogether.

In such scenarios, the nurse or health professional might be compelled to violate the duty of confidentiality through such means as disclosing important information concerning the patient to the family or deciding on the suitable heath care for the patient through the help of family and other health professionals without patient’s consent. This could result in an ethical break that can have legal implications on the nurse or health professional involved (Simek, 2016).

References

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010). Nursing and national competency standards for Registered nurse. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Olson, L., L., & Stokes, F. (2016). The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements: Resource for Nursing Regulation. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 7(2), 9-20

Price, B. (2015). Respecting patient confidentiality. Nursing Standard, 29(22), 50-57.

Simek, J. (2014). Specifics of nursing ethics. Kontakt, 18(2), 64-68

Taylor, H. (2014) Promoting a patient’s right to autonomy: implications for primary healthcare practitioners. Part 1. Primary Health Care, 24(2), 36-41

Ulrich, C., M., Taylor, C., Soeken, K., O’Donnell, P., Farrar, A., Danis, M. & Grady, C. (2010). Everyday Ethics: Ethical Issues and Stress in Nursing Practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(11).  doi:  10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05425.x

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Perioperative Nurses Essay Paper

Perioperative Nurses
Perioperative Nurses

Perioperative Nurses

Perioperative refers to the practice of surgical procedure where patients experience surgical intervention. Perioperative nurses are tasked with the responsibility of taking care of the patient before, during and after the surgical intervention (Banschbach, 2016). During this time of surgery intervention and care, many safety issues many arise. According to Ford (2012), many safety issues such as emotional, physiological, and sociocultural safety issues may arise during the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative phases of the surgical intervention because of the negligence of preoperative nurses.

Prior to the surgical procedure, perioperative nurses perform a patient assessment to evaluate the nursing care to be given in the operating room and after the patient returns to the nursing unit, or at home. This involves assessing the social, physical, and emotional needs of a patient. From the information obtained, the perioperative nurses can then predict the suitability of the surgical timing for the patient (Ford, 2012).

However, studies have shown that during this assessment period, perioperative nurses are bound to making social mistakes that result in social safety issues. According to Steelman et al. (2013) perioperative nurses, at the interaction level with the patients, may fail to actively engage the patient’s family members who can furnish important information about the patient that can help in assessing the social and physical needs of the patient and consequently help in determining the care to be provided.

In addition, Robinson (2016) states that sometimes the amount of and length of teaching recommended to a patient by the perioperative nurses is not sufficient enough to prepare the patient psychologically for the surgery type and procedure, leading to psychological safety issue during the intra-operative procedure where the patient can be more anxious and less cooperative.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010), the information from pre-operative assessment helps in determining the surgery site and procedure for a patient. However, incorrect or insufficient information obtained from or about the patient can result in perioperative nurses recommending wrong site surgery for the patient, thereby resulting in physiological safety issue during the surgical intervention (Ford, 2012).

Besides, insufficient or inaccurate information from the pre-operative assessment can result in verification errors, scheduling errors, medication error, and patient time-out errors (from the surgical room and out of hospital) (Steelman & Graling, 2013). Thus, wrong or insufficient pre-operative assessment can be a strong basis for physical, emotional, and social safety issues on the part of the perioperative nurses.

References

Banschbach, K. S. (2016). Perioperative nurse leaders and their role in patient safety. AORN Journal, 104(2), 161-164

Ford, A. D. (2012). Advocating for perioperative nursing and patient nursing. Perioperative nursing clinics, 7(4), 425-432

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010). Nursing and national competency standards for Registered nurse. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Robinson, L. N. (2016). Promoting patient safety with perioperative hand-off communication. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 31(3), 245-253

Steelman, M., V. & Graling, P., R. (2013) Top 10 Patient Safety Issues: What More Can We Do? AORN Journal, 97(6), 679-701. Retrieved from: https://www.aorn.org/websitedata/cearticle/pdf_file/CEA13517-0001.pdf

Steelman, M., V., Graling, P., R., & Perkhounkova, Y. (2013). Priority patient safety issues identified by Perioperative nurses. AORN Journal, 97(4), 402-418

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Stroke can occur at any age

Stroke
Stroke

Stroke can occur at any age

In recent times, it has become essential for the RN and other medical practitioners to understand the need for stroke patients in different age groups to adopt the best strategies for continuing care to them. Despite some identified similarities, there exists different needs and experiences of the young and old stroke patients. The differences are attributed to stroke effects on self-image, age normative activities, roles and the stage in the life cycle.

Some of the needs for younger patients include work disruptions, family plans, childcare responsibilities and overall disturbances of family routines (Kee et al, 2015).  There is a hidden disrupted sense of self, cognitive impairment of suffering an older person’s disease among the young patients. In this case, the young patients have more unmet needs compared to their old counterparts.

The older people are at a higher risk of suffering from the stroke as compared to the young ones. Such reasons make the young patients have more specific needs both psychological and practical in nature (Kee et al, 2015). The added psychological need involves reconciling their perceived incongruity concerning suffering a disease for the old. 

The old patients fail to receive constant high-intensity neurorehabilitation as compared to the young patients thus the old survivors need less therapy intensive settings (Kee et al, 2015). Compared to the old, young patients feel different about their stroke experience due to their early life stage and the effects caused by the disease.

Different psychological therapies and practices are adopted in correspondence to needs of either the old or young patients. There is a similarity between the needs of the young and old patients since both receive high amounts of therapy and specialized inpatient neurorehabilitation during their care period (Kee et al, 2015).

 The therapist is an important member of the interprofessional healthcare team that would assist the RN in the provision of quality care to the stroke patient. One of the roles performed by the therapist involves promoting and teaching healthy lifestyle routines and habits to the patients to minimize the risks of secondary stroke.

Assistive technology training for the patient and home modifications requiring interventions made by the therapist are vital roles performed enhancing an effective collaboration with the RN (Kee et al, 2015). In a nutshell, adoption of the right strategies while providing care to stroke patients results to the positive and desired outcomes.

Reference

Kee, J., Hayes, E., & McCuistion, L. (2015). Pharmacology: A patient-centered nursing process approach (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

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End of life conversations Essay

End of life conversations
End of life conversations

End of life conversations

End of life conversations are difficult to initiate to a point where health care practitioners start to actively avoid talking with individuals that are under palliative care. The thought of initiating the conversation fills a clinician with dismay. McRee & Reed (2016) advise that conversations about end of life should be initiated at the time of patient’s admission. Therefore, GPs should monitor the trajectory of patients’ conditions as soon as they have been admitted in hospital.

For instance, they can assess whether the patient is exhibiting a consistent decline instead of improvement or if the patient is complaining of fatigue with the treatment process of frequent hospitalization. These prompts then require a clinician to set up a place and time when those who should be involved can be present.

As a RN nurse, I can promote and support the process of end of life conversations by first asking for permission from the patient to talk about the topic. This is crucial as it assures the patient that I respect and honor his/ her wishes. I can start by a question such as, “I would like us to discuss about how you would like to be cared for in case you become really sick, is that okay with you?”

I will then determine the appropriate time and place where the conversation should be done. During the discussion, I will show empathy and give enough time to the patient and the loved ones for them to absorb what is being said. I will ensure that I am patient in that I do not focus on covering everything at once.

One of the challenges that makes nurses to shun away from end of life conversations is the fear of blame or causing emotional harm to the patient (McRee & Reed, 2016). Similarly, some clinicians spend months or even years with their patients such that they end up developing deeper relationships with the patients, and therefore, it becomes difficult for them to initiate talks about the patient’s death. They treat the patients as their close friends or loved ones, and honestly no one would like to discuss with a beloved one about their death. Dreadful!!! This is how most clinicians describe the thought of initiating the discussion.

Nurses play a central role when it comes to delivering end of life care. Their conversations about end of life should be patient led, honest, gentle, and should not proceed with the conversation in the event that the patient does not want to continue. Therefore, they should be equipped with the right skills, attitude, and knowledge on end of life for them to deliver quality care.

References

McRee, L., & Reed, P. G. (2016). Nurse Practitioners Knowledge, Skills, and Leadership for the End-of-Life Conversation in Intensive Care. Nursing Science Quarterly, 29(1), 78-81.

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Teamwork in Health care

Teamwork in Health care
Teamwork in Health care

Teamwork in Health care

Theories are a set of acceptable ideas or principles that are used to analyze specific situations or events. The most common theory of group work is the Tuckman’s model. According to Tuckman, team interaction can be viewed as four parts of different phases including forming storming, forming and performing (Tay, Moul and Armstrong, 2016, p 18).

According to Armstrong forming is the stage where members rely on leaders to guide the team Employees look up to the leaders to provide direction .During this stage, team members start organizing themselves and being familiar with their roles .Members try to agree on specific issues and the task to be accomplished.

            Storming is a process in which ideas are generated and deliberated upon by the groups. Teams identify various issues and try to finding solutions for the negative issues that might affect the team. This process might be disruptive and members might disagree. Disputes are likely to occur.

This requires members to reflect and have the capability of being patient for the e group to stay together. Leadership guidance during this stage is equally important to provide clear direction to its members (Tay, Moul and Armstrong, 2016, p 121).

Forming is an important step because it aids group members who have overcome their grievances to agree on several issues. At this stage discussions are more open and issues are discussed honestly. Members adjust their behavior patterns and attitudes towards promoting good team work. During this stage leaders become reluctant and members are more dominant (Tay, Moul and Armstrong, 2016, p 121).

Belbin’s theory of group specifies the role of individual team members emphasizing that every member of the team possesses unique behavior that can influence performance. According to Belbin, using inventory questionnaires with nine different roles with unique characteristics can help identify the role of each member of the team.

These characteristics include coordinator ,shaper ,plant ,implementer ,resource investor ,completer ,monitor ,evaluator  and team worker . Every role has its strengths and weakness, however understanding each responsibility of the team plays an important role in making an effective team. High performing teams use all these combinational roles to increase team efficiency (Townley, 2014, p 108).

Task 1.2     

Teamwork is the willingness of individuals in a team to work together to achieve a common goal. This involves developing an interest in the team and working for the good of the team. Hounslow home care can use the following approaches to developing effective teamwork. In all healthcare setting including Hounslow care homes, healthcare teams are either formal or informal teams with specific purposes. 

These teams have definite leaders with individuals within the team having specific roles. Informal groups have no structure, but everyone has equal status. Within several healthcare settings comprises of multi-disciplinary teams which are informal teams (MacFarlane, et al, 2011, p 55).

MacFarlane, et al, (2011, p 59) emphasize on effective teamwork as a process of embracing diverse skills. Team members should focus on the strengths to compensate for the weak areas. Effective teamwork is about ensuring that the main objective is well stipulated and understood by every member of the team. Teamwork requires the engagement of every team member in the duties of health and social care to minimize communication barriers that might arise. Teamwork requires every member to be given equal opportunity to air out their concerns and opinions.

Teamwork has several merits. For instance, it offers better solution. A well-managed team produces more results. Teamwork creates a supportive environment and propels individuals towards working effectively. Employees’ levels of confidence increase thereby allowing them to perform to the best of their abilities. Teams also create a supportive environment that propels employees towards implementation.

The environment boosts the confidence of workers motivating them into delivering their best. Moreover, teamwork have been cited to provide platforms of generating new approaches on how tasks should be accomplished. One of the disadvantages of teamwork includes unequal participation.  In some teams, members sit back and wait for others to work on their behalf an aspect that can result in conflicts at work (MacFarlane, et al, 2011, p 61).

In addition, teamwork has been linked closely to limited creativity. This is because employees may become so focused on working for the general good of the team and how to fit in to the concept of the team that they contribute their ideas. Consequently, the lack of innovation may hinder an organization from moving forward. Scholars have also argued that team work at times can take longer to record the expected results.

This is because they require to go through several processes such as selection, socialization, and organization in the bid of completing a task. This eventually adds on the expenses on manpower and equipments required to complete a task.

Reference

Tay, K.J., Moul, J.W. and Armstrong, A.J., 2016. Management of Prostate Cancer in the Elderly. Clinics in geriatric medicine, 32(1), pp.113-132.

Taylor, P. (2013).Performance Management and the New Workplace Tyranny. A Report for the. Scottish Trades Union Congress .Retrieved from http://www.stuc.org.uk/files/Document%20download/Workplace%20tyranny/STUC%20Performance%20Management%20Final%20Edit.pdf  

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The Perioperative Period: Nursing Reflection

The Perioperative Period
The Perioperative Period

The Perioperative Period

The perioperative period includes various processes and procedures that bring about multiple and challenging changes to a patient (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010). A major surgical intervention is accompanied with multiple stressful components such as worries about survival, length of admission to hospital, one’s physical condition after the surgery, separation from the family, and the financial implication, factors that significantly impact on a patient’s recovery (Gouin and Kiecolt-Glaser, 2012).

For example, based on my reading, the patient revealed that during pre-operative phase, he experienced psychological stress and anxiety brought about by the thoughts of fear of death, physical deformity related with the surgical intervention, longer stays in the hospital, longer recovery period, and the cost of the whole surgical procedure and care. He affirmed that the fear, anxiety and stress slowed his recovery (Hudson & Ogden, 2016).

The physical environment of a patient such as lights and sounds can also affect a patient’s recovery (Nelson, et al., 2016). The patient also described the sounds from the equipment and people in the vicinity of the recovery unity as having affected his sleep and sensory, occasionally bringing back the thought of the surgery procedure. This deprived him of emotional peace.

Besides, the patient described his confinement to the hospital bed in the recovery unit under the extensive monitoring machines as a painful and scary experience that distressed him (Hudson & Odgen, 2016). According to Gouin and Kiecolt-Glaser (2012), pain and distress during perioperative period can be influenced by emotions triggered by the physical environment factors result in physical changes in a patient, thus slowing his recovery period.

Surgery also results in inability on the patient. During the perioperative period, a patient is unable to engage in certain duties, responsibilities and activities. This leads them to have low self-esteem and feels insecure (Marks, 2015). The patient also described that during his recovery period, he experienced sudden changes in his social and family life as he could not return immediately to his normal life and perform the duties he valued most.

This made him loose sense of self-esteem and raise insecurity concern on his part. Besides, having to live with a life-changing diagnosis for the rest of his life was traumatizing and frustrating altogether as it was associated with some form of isolation from friends and family. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the contribution of his carers (immediate family and clinicians) who gave him hope in life (Hudson & Ogden, 2016).

Having read the patient’s experience, I have come to appreciate the need for social and spiritual support for a patient undergoing major surgical intervention. The social support is crucial for enabling the patient understand the aftermath implications of the surgery and consequently prepare him on how to live with it.

Spiritual support offers the needed help to a patient to have hope in life again during and after the surgery and treatment procedure (Hudson & Ogden, 2016). Conclusively, I have come to understand the need for perioperative nurses to understand the possible implications of the illness from the patient’s perspective to facilitate their recovery and offer the needed emotional support during their recovery period (Nelson et al., 2016).

References

Gouin, J., & Kiecolt-Glaser, K., J. (2012). The Impact of Psychological Stress on Wound Healing: Methods and Mechanisms. Immunol Allergy Clin North America, 31(1), 81-93

Hudson, B., F. & Ogden, J. (2016). Exploring the Impact of Intraoperative Interventions for Pain and Anxiety Management During Local Anesthetic Surgery- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 31(2), 118-133

Marks, R. (2015). Non-Operative Management of Knee Osteo-arthritis Disability. International Journal of Chronic Diseases & Therapy (IJCDT), 1(2), 9-16

Nelson, G., Altman, A., D., Nick, A., Meyer, A., L., Ramirez, P., T., Achtari, C., Antrobus, J., Huang, M., S., Wijk, L., Acheson, N., Ljungqvist, O., & Dowdy, C., S. (2016). Guidelines for pre- and intra-operative care in gynecologic/oncology surgery: Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Society Recommendations- Part 1. Gynecologic Oncology, 140(2), 313-322

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010). Nursing and national competency standards for Registered nurse. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

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Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing
Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

Patient confidentiality and ethics in nursing

In their line of duty, perioperative nurses are bound to the duty of patient confidentiality and ethics. However, in executing their responsibilities, perioperative nurses find themselves in dilemma situations with regards to ethical issues and patient confidentiality concerns accompanying the sharing of patient’s health information (Ulrich et al., 2010). According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010), ensuring confidentiality of the health information of a patient is at the core of nurses establishing and maintaining trusting relationships with patients, patient’s families, and other health professionals.

With no assurance regarding the confidentiality of their health information, patients could be hesitant to provide sensitive yet important information regarding their health status/condition that can help in provision of high quality care (Price, 2015). However, perioperative nurses are faced with dilemma in situations where they consider appropriate to share a patient’s confidential health information to his or her family member(s) or caregiver for purposes of ensuring the patient continue to receive quality and safe health care.

The ethical implication of this action is the violation of ethics duty by the nurse as well as the potential loss of trust in the nurse and other health professionals in the institution by the patient or family should it be discovered that such confidential information was shared.

Additionally, in situations where the health condition of the patient deteriorates, health professionals find themselves in a dilemma state with regards to protecting the patient’s privacy whilst addressing the carers’ concerns about the patient’s condition (Price, 2015). For instance, patients that have undergone brain surgery are often mentally and physically unstable because of the nature of the surgery and as such are not in a position to interact with family as well as make important decisions concerning their health information, which could be confidential.

At the same time, the patient’s family members might request to know about the health condition of the patient, being unaware and unfamiliar of the hospital procedure and policies and health care code of ethics regarding the application of confidentiality in their context (Ulrich et al., 2010). In this situation, disclosing the patient’s confidential health information to the family members can be a complex task.

Thus, the nurse must obtain the patient’s permission about the information that can be shared, to who and under what circumstances to minimise possible misunderstanding with family member(s) as well as evade possible legal implications accompanying such (Olson & Stokes, 2016).

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010), patients have an inherent right to autonomy, which allows for their informed consent or the withheld of this consent. The law of informed consent holds that patients have the right to withhold personal information unless it is required by law to provide such information; or make decisions concerning their own treatment (Taylor, 2014).

Thus, perioperative nurses have ethical and legal obligation to respect and protect patient’s right to autonomy by allowing the patients to make their own treatment decisions or not to provide certain personal information deemed confidential. However, nurses may find themselves in a dilemma in situations where protecting and respecting patient’s right to autonomy could result in harm to the patient (Olson & Stokes, 2016).

For instance, in situations such as multiple series of surgery or uneventful incidents, letting the patient make his/ her own treatment decisions or withhold important information to health care practitioners could result in self-harm or harm others altogether.

In such scenarios, the nurse or health professional might be compelled to violate the duty of confidentiality through such means as disclosing important information concerning the patient to the family or deciding on the suitable heath care for the patient through the help of family and other health professionals without patient’s consent. This could result in an ethical break that can have legal implications on the nurse or health professional involved (Simek, 2016).

References

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2010). Nursing and national competency standards for Registered nurse. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Olson, L., L., & Stokes, F. (2016). The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements: Resource for Nursing Regulation. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 7(2), 9-20

Price, B. (2015). Respecting patient confidentiality. Nursing Standard, 29(22), 50-57.

Simek, J. (2014). Specifics of nursing ethics. Kontakt, 18(2), 64-68

Taylor, H. (2014) Promoting a patient’s right to autonomy: implications for primary healthcare practitioners. Part 1. Primary Health Care, 24(2), 36-41

Ulrich, C., M., Taylor, C., Soeken, K., O’Donnell, P., Farrar, A., Danis, M. & Grady, C. (2010). Everyday Ethics: Ethical Issues and Stress in Nursing Practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(11).  doi:  10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05425.x

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