Case study

NUR 3020 Transition to Professional Practice Introduction Ethics and legal aspects of health care and professionalism are vital for nurses when dealing with legal and ethical dilemmas that they may encounter in practice. Various legal issues are related to the practice of nursing, for example, nursing practice acts and standards of care. Most pressing issues in nursing practice concerns malpractice and negligence. Nurses should make a distinction between their personal values and professional ethics involving the principles that have universal application and standards of conduct (Fry, & Johnstone, 2002). The problem According to Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2005) nurses should take their responsibility by following the steps to give reports and identify instances where clients are not getting efficient services. They should encourage social advocacy that improve the quality of health care through respect for their clients. It is the role of healthcare practitioners to ensure that health care mistakes are minimised, and follow legal issues to provide efficient health care in a competent and a diligent manner. This case study focuses on an aged patient, 59 years old, admitted in a hospital for an elective surgery to be treated for the complications in his inguinal hernia. However, the patient`s condition continued to worsen after he was discharged from the hospital and was readmitted to the same surgical ward. It is the responsibility of nurses to ensure that patients receive quality care they need. Patients have the right to participate in decision that regards their medication, nurses to ensure that the patients have all the required tools to make their own decisions. Patients can have their health care affected by clinical mistakes or human error. Therefore it is necessary for nurses to ensure that they minimize the mistakes that may arise and be able to disclose any mistakes that may cause harm to a patient`s life. In addition, nurses should ensure that they follow appropriate procedures for keeping their clients information secure. Client`s notes should be accurate and done professionally. Negligence in the preparation of patient`s notes can affect the patients care in the long run and may also lead to stereotypes. In the above case study, the doctor ordered that he would be discharged from the hospital after he reviewed the patient. According to health records, it was not clear whether he had assessed the patient`s condition. It is important for nurses to respect the client`s privacy. What happened in Dons case can be attributed to human error. The mistake could be avoided if the medical staff in the hospital can improve on their practice to avoid the occurrence of the same acts in future. Fundamental ethical principles In nursing, ethics is concerned with the conduct and moral judgment of practitioners which must be upheld in all institutions. They include beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Beneficence This is the act of promoting or doing well. It is the responsibility of the nurses to promote their patients interests to maker them achieve appropriate outcomes. The acts of beneficence makes nurses to be caring, compassionate, sympathize, empathizes, be kind, act of altruism, be loving to their clients. In this case study of Don, the principle of beneficence was breached because the doctor did not treat the patient kindly by listening to his complaints that he was still in pain, therefore needed more attention. The doctors actions did not involve all the characteristics of beneficence as outlined. The patient claimed to the RN prior to his discharge that he was not feeling well on the morning he was discharged. However, the doctor continued with his plans to discharge him. Hence, this means that the doctor did not observe the principle of beneficence. Nonmaleficence This principle means avoiding causing harm and any form of suffering to a patient (White, 2005). It requires that nurses uphold competency in their practice at higher levels to avoid actions that may cause harm to patients. It also entails giving reports of suspected abuse to avoid victimization and to protect patients from chemically impaired nurses and other health personnel. In Don`s case, the principle of non-maleficence was not upheld because he was left to suffer from extreme pain and suffering. He was being given panadol to relieve pain. It is the duty of nurses to be responsible by giving a patient the right medication at an appropriate time. Autonomy This principle defines the act of being independent and the ability to be self-directed. Patients have the right of self determination and to decide what kind of attention they may require from the health practitioners (White, 2005). They should be able to consent refuse any form of treatment they consider not important for their care. In addition, doctors and nurses should respect the wishes of their patients. In the case study of Don, the principle of autonomy was not adhered to because don was discharged from the hospital against his wish. The doctor...