The Role of an Adult Nurse within the Context of Health and Social Care - Essay Example

Introduction I have chosen to focus on nurses caring for the elderly. I believe that the elderly is a very important part of communities and societies today. However, it appears that the traditional respect for the elderly has diminished with the increased focus on youth and ambition in the world today. Those who are advanced in years appear to have been moved towards the margins of society, to pine away in long-term care homes and other facilities that care for the elderly. Although many of these institutions provide sterling care, it is also true that these patients have suffered terrible abuses at the hands of their caregivers. Encouragingly, however, there has also been a movement away from institutionalizing the elderly towards a home-care system. In such cases, the long-term care nurse would reside permanently, or spend part of a working day, at the patient's home. Some elderly move in with their grown children, with nurses caring for them at these locations. In many respects, this appears to be a more humane solution to the end-of-life care situation. Because society is moving towards all who do not have the ability to care properly for themselves, including the elderly, I believe the nurse in this worthy aspect of the profession should receive due attention via research and academic publication. As will be addressed later, the UK particularly is experiencing some difficulties with end-of-life care legislation and related issues. Nursing professionals are in a position to make considerable difference in this regard. They work with the elderly on a daily basis, and can submit letters and documentation related to the specific needs and requirements in terms of their patients' rights. Patient rights are then also a very important aspect of the nurse's roles and responsibilities in the life of the aging patient. Particularly in the advanced stages of their lives, patients need to be treated with both respect and dignity. Nurses can then serve as an inspiring force for the communities where they work. Roles and Responsibilities of the Long-Term Care Nurse According to Stephen H. Close (2008), the roles and responsibilities of the Long-Term Care Nursing professional is directly connected to the phenomenon of ageing and the issues occurring concomitantly with this phenomenon. Advances in the medical profession have resulted in much greater human longevity, which means a greater amount of the elderly. At the advanced stages of life, it is also a fact that many of these people need assistance with their daily routine. This is the primary responsibility of the Long-Term Care Nurse. Assisted care occurs in a variety of settings, according to Close (2008). These may include formal facilities instituted for this purpose, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, while nurses also work with the elderly in hospitals and in their homes. The particular setting depends upon the specific needs of the person needing assistance. This decision can also be made with the help of the nursing professional. Most elderly persons are housed in skilled nursing homes, which are specifically geared towards care for the elderly. In addition to providing assistance with daily routines such as dressing and bathing, the long-term nurse will also provide assistance with medication and moving around from place to place. Some elderly persons will for example require wheel chairs or assistance with walking. A further duty is assisting those suffering from chronic medical or psychological conditions. Many of the elderly for example suffer from conditions such as dementia, schizophrenia, some forms of cancer, or other ailments. In this regard, a nursing professional with the appropriate background would be assigned to the person involved. The long-term care nurse is then often required to have a multi-disciplinary background that extends not only to medicine, but also to psychology. Care for the elderly involves an interdisciplinary focus, where psychiatrists, medical doctors, sociologists, and nurses often work together in order to provide the elderly with the highest quality of care possible. Indeed, in a sociological setting, these nurses can provide a valuable basis for renewed regard for the elderly, their plight, and their needs. There are many important aspects in caring for the elderly. The most important consideration in this regard is the right of the elderly to be treated with dignity and care at all times. More controversially and more specific is the right of the elderly to make decisions regarding their end-of-life care, which includes the possibility of assisted dying. These issues are included in the accountability of long-term care nurses as this pertains to legal issues and the role of the nurse in caring for the elderly according to their rights. Accountability, Legal Issues, and Regulation in Long-Term Nursing The nurse's primary accountability is towards the rights of the elderly. The right to be treated with dignity and care, while being made as comfortable as possible, is at the bottom of this type of care. The Dignity in Dying Web site (2008) addresses the regulation and accountability issues surrounding the long-term care of the elderly in the United Kingdom. According to the authors, respecting the wishes of the elderly and the dying should not be optional, but compulsory. The UK government has also released several publications pertaining to long-term care for the elderly. One of these is the government's "End of Life Care Strategy". Among others, the document stipulates as the right of the elderly to have access to nursing care professionals who have the expertise to address their specific needs. Nursing practitioners in the field therefore need to ensure that they have the proper training in order to assess accurately and provide for the needs identified. Furthermore, the government stipulates that coordinated, interdisciplinary care is needed in order to ensure that all needs are met. Psychological and physiological disorders therefore should be addressed in an integrated way. This integration is projected by means of care coordination centres, which will coordinate to assist the elderly with their end of life needs. The strategy is also very specific in terms of providing the elderly with end of life care. It is however emphasized that such care will concern making the patient comfortable, and also providing facilities for family members to remain with the person during his or her last days in hospital. The Dignity in Dying Web site also specifically addresses this issue. The authors campaign strongly for the right of patients to have the option of assisted dying. As such, it is emphasized that nursing professionals should take responsibility for achieving the legal right of patients to choose this option. When a patient, and particularly an elderly patient is dying, it is simply impossible to provide physical comfort. While assisted dying is not yet legal in the UK, it is emphasized that this is a need in order to promote the dignity and right of the elderly to receive optimal care at the end of their lives. The sociological issues in illness and health as discussed by White (2002) can also be applied to the elderly and their rights. The elderly are a sector of society that are often marginalised by the medical and legal profession, particularly in terms of their end of life needs. This is something that needs to be addressed by the nursing professional as an accountability issue. Conclusion It should be recognized in all sectors of society that accountability and ethics in the nursing profession do not only apply to the law, but also to the concrete needs as experienced and observed in the nursing profession itself. When an elderly person suffers as a result of terminal illness, assisted dying should for example be an option. Nurses have a primary responsibility towards those for whom they care in terms of comfort and dignity. This is especially applicable to the elderly. Having contributed to society throughout their lives, the elderly deserve dignity and respect at the end of their lives. As such, nurses offer a link between general society, the law, and the rights of the elderly. Bibliography Department of Health (UK) (2008). End of Life Care Strategy: Promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_086277 Dignity in Dying. (2008). http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/ Education Portal (2008). Overview: Long-Term Care Nursing. http://education-portal.com/articles/Long-Term_Care_Nurse:_Overview_of_this_Nursing_Profession.html White, K. (2002) An Introduction to Sociology of Health and Illness. London: Sage publications Appendix: Description of Long-Term Care Nursing According to the Education Portal (2008) Web site, long-term care nursing primarily involves caring for the elderly who are close to the end of their lives. As such, the profession focuses on the needs of these persons, which may range from assistance in moving around, feeding themselves, bathing, and taking their daily medications. Some of the elderly in need of assistance prefer to enter nursing homes or other formal facilities instituted for this purpose. Others prefer to remain at home. These are decisions that can be made with the assistance of the nursing professional. Often the elderly also suffer from chronic physical or psychological ailments, which could range from certain types of cancer to dementia or schizophrenia. The long-term professional therefore needs and interdisciplinary education, or to work in teams with other professionals to address these issues. In terms of personality, a person entering the long-term nursing profession needs a large amount of patience, together with a caring attitude in order to provide the elderly with the targeted care that they need. Read More