Nurse Negligence: Failure to Follow ANA Standards for Care of Elderly Male Prone to Falls - Essay Sample

Q1.Both the nurse and the supervisor failed to follow the basic care standards set by the American Nurses Association (ANA). Standard care act is a concept documented to guide the nurses in their professional, setting the standard of behavior, expectations, and attitudes towards their clients (Kahriman, & Ozturk, 2019). The nurse is presented with an 80-year old male, who is prone to falls. The basic requirement of nursing care for such patients includes the following of the nursing processes, reduce the risk of falls, and ensure that the patient is protected should a fall occur. The nurse neglected the patient and reoffered him to the triage even without the patient's family members or the staff from the nursing home. The supervisor should have enquired about the staff from the home to assist in the assessment and diagnosis.

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Q2 During the diagnosis process, there is a requirement that all the equipment should be used properly when administering to all patients. Major equipment's that the nurse recommended being used on the patient were the low-lying bed, call bells, and side rails. In the case study, the nurse failed to recognize that the patient was old and had depicted restlessness and should have been placed at a flat surface preferably the floor. The press bell, should not have been used in the scenario given the age group of the patient, and instead, the nurse should have been actively present should an emergency occur. CT scans should, be administered only when necessary, and only when there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that there is a need for such a test(Bail&Grealish,2016). The scan can have adverse effects on the patient. The misuse of the machines was not economical too.

Q3.The supervisor, engaged in malpractice by failing to communicate to the nurse and oversee that the health care procedures were being followed. By failing to advise the nurse on their proper way of handling the patient, the supervisor breached the nursing guidelines for the roles of a supervisor. The Supervisor should have taken proper measures upon noticing that the patient had not been accompanied by a member of the nursing home staff or a family member.

Q4. The nurse is guilty of providing scanty information hence failure to keep documentation. According to the American Nursing Association, documentation should always cover nursing history, admission forms, and notes from previous health care providers(Krishna&Khyati,2017). The registered nurse describes the patient as "Having pain all over”, the description is unprofessional and is not enough to enable any diagnosis progress. The nurse describes the patient as confused.

Q5.Nursing practitioners are required to be advocates of their patients and should ensure that they are a priority regardless of the policies in the nursing institution (Nsiah,2017). In the case scenario, the nurse failed to advocate for the rights of the patient, by not adhering to the provisions of the Emergency Department policy that the patient should rest in a closer nursing station. The nurse is negligent and leaves the patient alone, even after noticing that he had an unsteady gait when walking to the bathroom. The supervisor failed to serve as an advocate for the patient and her profession, for allowing the second fall to occur. The seco9nd fall occurred possibly because the supervisor was not keen on ensuring that the institution was being managed properly.

Reference

Krishna, R., & Khyati, G. V. (2017). Nursing errors in the documentation: a review. Ruas-Us JMC, 3(2), 1-5. http://www.msruas.ac.in/pdf_files/Publications/MCJournals/August2017/Paper3.pdf

Kahriman, I., & Ozturk, H. (2019). Development of A Medical Error Scale for Nursing Students: A Methodological Study. Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences, 9(3), 210-219. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9a51/6dc7d5193e97f3dc3c40704386faf92e06d8.pdf

Bail, K., & Grealish, L. (2016). ‘Failure to Maintain’: A theoretical proposition for a new quality indicator of nurse care rationing for complex older people in hospital. International journal of nursing studies, 63, 146-161. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002074891630116X

Nsiah, C. (2017). Experiences of Registered Nurses in carrying out their role as patients’ advocates (Doctoral dissertation, University of Cape Coast). https://ir.ucc.edu.gh/jspui/handle/123456789/3139