Benchmark: Abuse and Neglect in Health Care Interview (Health, Medicine, Nursing Essay)

Benchmark: Abuse and Neglect in Health Care Interview
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Benchmark: Abuse and Neglect in Health Care Interview
The health care professional I interviewed revealed that in the state of Nevada, mandatory reporting laws require specific professionals to report known or suspected cases of abuse and neglect. Mandatory reporters in Nevada include healthcare providers, coroners, social workers, teachers, librarians, counselors or administrators of a school, law enforcement agencies’ employees, and child care providers, among others (Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), n.d.). Lawyers and clergymen/religious leaders are also legally required to report abuse and neglect unless the information they obtain is covered by the attorney-client confidentiality and confessions, respectively. The Nevada mandatory reporting laws indicate that mandatory reporters should make a report of known or suspected cases of abuse and neglect as soon as they became concerned about the welfare of the subject and within a 24-hour time frame. The law also indicates that the reports of abuse and neglect should be made to the division of child and family services in Nevada state or a law enforcement agency. The report should be made by telephone or any other reliable form of communication such as electronic or written communication. Any reports that are made orally should be written down by the recipient as soon as possible. The report should contain, if obtainable, the name, age, sex, and address of the child; name and address of the parents or any other primary caregiver; the name and address, as well as the relationship of the alleged abuser and the child, if known; the nature and extent of the abuse; evidence of previously suspected or known cases of abuse and neglect of the child or their siblings; and any other information deemed relevant by child welfare services. According to the law, a mandated reporter who fails to report known or suspected abuse and neglect can be charged with a misdemeanor for the first violation and a gross misdemeanor for subsequent violations (NRS, n.d.).
From the interview, I learned that the effects of mandatory reporting are felt at the management level and they have an influence on management strategies. Some of the management strategies in healthcare involve not only building a relationship with patients but also with the community and other partners within the community. Healthcare management strategies provide healthcare professionals with direction and leadership, which is very essential in complex situations. According to my interviewee, cases of suspected child abuse and neglect are not always clear and they require a guided decision-making process due to their sometimes complex nature. As such, the management must put in place very clear guidelines on how to deal with more complex cases. The management strategies put in place must ensure that patients, and more so, children are protected and that healthcare providers fulfill their duty of care. Also, mandatory reporting requirements influence management strategies because they are some of the external factors that the management has to consider in their day-to-day running of the organization and its human resources. These are regulations that are beyond the organization’s control but have a great influence on the organization. Also, mandatory reporting requirements can sometimes be overwhelming and healthcare providers can over-report and this is something that should be addressed through effective management strategies. As indicated by Tonmyr, Mathews, Shields, Hovdestad, and Afifi (2018), one of the downsides of mandatory reporting is over-reporting which then diminishes resources that could otherwise be allocated to serious cases. This is a sentiment that was shared by my interviewee, who also indicated that the organization she works for has reduced over-reporting through effective management strategies. These strategies include developing strategic partnerships within the community and providing healthcare providers with effective training on how to better recognize cases of abuse and neglect.
During the interview, my interviewee gave me an example of abuse and neglect, which she specifically referred to as medical neglect. A young boy aged ten years old was brought in by his mother with an open wound on the foot that was not healing. The boy had fallen on a sharp object while playing and had developed foot ulcers as a result of the injury. The mother revealed that she had been treating the wound with antibiotics she obtained over the counter. However, there was no improvement and upon realizing that the boy was suffering, she decided to bring him to the hospital. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that the boy was diabetic and although the mother was aware of the condition, she had ...