Healthcare Incidents

Introduction
Healthcare is becoming progressively more complex. There are numerous areas within health care that demand change in everyday healthcare practice. Nonetheless, it is the onus of the medical providers to deliver high quality care and make a significant different in the general well-being and health of every individual they provide services to. In the contemporary setting, patient-centered care is at the heart of healthcare. Nurses are obligated to adhere to healthcare policies and standards. These take into account decisions, plans, as well as actions that are established and undertaken to accomplish specific health care objectives within the society. Every health care professional is responsible for considering the appropriateness of applying them in the setting of any certain clinical circumstance or situation The main objective of this paper is to analyze a case study of a 2nd year nursing student on her Professional Experience Placement and consider her actions through the perspectives of law and ethics and cultural safety.
Incident 1
The first incident is linked to law and ethics. Specifically, there is the incident of medication preparation and administration devoid of any medication order. When the 2nd year nursing student approached Mrs. Gianopolis, her daughter-in-law informs her that her mother-in-law is experiencing pain and that she requires something to hemp. Subsequent to checking the patient’s medication orders, the student notices that she has nothing ordered. The team leader, Adam Vronksy, tells the student to give the patient 2 Panadol and that he will fix it up later with the doctor, even devoid of the medication order. One of the key general principles in medication administration that is imperative for a nurse to adhere to is to individually prepare any medications that have been properly ordered for a patient and thereafter personally administer such medications. Even though there might be occurrences where more than one healthcare is necessitated to administer a single medication, for instance in a code, it is not largely acceptable nursing practice to prepare any kind of medication for another person to administer. In the same manner, it is not acceptable nursing practice to administer a medication that another has prepared (Brent, 2015).
As an authorized provider, the second year student must have a medication order so as to administer medications to patients. In addition, the student may not take any verbal medication orders from a prescribing practitioner as this is outside the scope of what one can do as an authorized provider. In addition, so as to give medication, a registered nurse must have a medication order and protocol (Hughes, 2008). The protocol is what provides directions regarding how to administer the medication as needed. A PRN protocol is necessary for PRN medication orders for the reason that, different from medications that are ordered on a consistent everyday basis, it is imperative for the registered nurse to know when a PRN medication ought to be administered (Burton,. 2009). The PRN Protocol provides the registered nurse with extra information regarding the medication order and is beneficial in understanding when and how much of the medication to administer. In addition, it is imperative to note that solely the prescribing practitioner or a nurse trainer is sanctioned to write or approve the PRN protocol.
The rights of medication administration comprise of the right patient, right medication, right timing, right route and right dosage. It is imperative for nurses to take into consideration all of these rights. In order to avoid medication errors, it is important to practice safe and ethical medication practices. These comprise of having complete and properly written orders that evidently specify the medication, dosage, route and frequency. Nurses are also obligated to take the correct medication route and dose dispensation and adhere to the policies regarding safe medication administration. In addition, the nurses are obligated to be vigilant during the administration of medications (Hughes, 2009).
Incident 2
The second incident involves cultural safety. Once team leader Adam insists that the 2nd year student should not care about protocols and give the patient the 2 Panadol, Mrs Gianopolis refuses the medication. However, the daughter-in-law takes them from the student and speaks strongly to the patient in Greeks and thereafter takes them. First of all, one of the concerning aspects is that the patient is forced to take medication involuntarily. The 2nd year student is not authorized to give the medication to the patient yet she does. A second concerning aspect in this incident is that the medication being given that was not in the patient’s medication order. One of the key functions of cultural safety knowledge and understanding is to enable the nurse to provide efficacious and safe care that meets the patient’s health care needs in a manner that sustains the patient’s personal, cultural and social identity. Fundamentally, identity can be deemed to be a resource that a person draws on to sustain their wellbeing and social connectedness in times of sickness and stress. In addition, cultural safety provides a system which provides guidance or assistance to a nurse to provide and manage care in a manner that safeguards an individual’s identity and wellbeing (Richardson, 2011).
In accordance to Nelson (2006), cultural safety plays an important role in the nursing setting owing to the reason that it acts as a means of a reminder for the medical providers regarding the significance of relationship and commitment in healthcare and provides a beneficial framework for the analysis and understanding healthcare within the systems of power in day to day practice. Bearing in mind that healthcare becomes more intricate as well as diversified, it is imperative that patients seeking medical care have the ability to gain a sense of value, be listened to, feel respected and also that their sense of self, identity and wellbeing are preserved and upheld as they discuss intricate health settings (Nelson, 2006).
Conclusion
These two incidents have a significant influence on my own practice as a nursing student. First of all, it gives me additional insight on law and ethics in the nursing setting. Specifically, I have attained more extensive understanding on medication administration safety. With increasing dependence on medication therapy as the key medical intervention for a great deal of illnesses, medication administration is pivotal to guarantee patient safety and quality patient-centered care. In this case, I have attained knowledge that a nurse is accountable for the preparation, administration and documentation of the medications given. More importantly, it is obligatory to have a medication so as to administer medications to patients and also one is not permitted to take any form of verbal medication orders from a prescribing practitioner as this is beyond the scope of what I am permitted as a nurse. Secondly, I have also gained important insight on cultural safety and the importance it plays in the nursing setting. Cultural safety encompasses the aspect of addressing the needs associated to accessibility and use of healthcare services for all patients. Imperatively, I have learned the significance of cultural competence, which incorporates the behavior of the nurse and the attitude towards the patient and the capability to form a trusting relationship. The patient should feel that he or she is valued, respected and listened to by the nurse and that his or her sense of wellbeing is being maintained at all times.



References
Barton, A. (2009). Patient safety and quality: An evidence?based handbook for nurses. Aorn Journal, 90(4), 601-602.
Brent, A. (2015). Understanding the basics of medication administration. Nurse.com. Retrieved from: https://www.nurse.com/blog/2015/12/16/understanding-the-basics-of-medication-administration/
Hughes, R. (Ed.). (2008). Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses(Vol. 3). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Nelson, S. (2006). Ethical expertise and the problem of the good nurse. In S. Nelson and S. Gordon (Eds.), The complexities of care: Nursing reconsidered. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.
Richardson, F. (2011). What is cultural safety and why does it matter? Nursing Review. Retrieved from: http://nursingreview.co.nz/what-is-cultural-safety-and-why-does-it-matter/