Analysis of the Activities of Nurses - Essay Example

? Nursing Attendance and Professionalism Nursing Attendance and Professionalism Introduction Nursing is one of the essential professions in the medical sector and nurses are depended upon in relation to various concerns when operating in hospitals, clinics and various other health centers. It is for this reason that their attendance is an important issue that has to be taken seriously lest innocent individuals suffer the consequences due to an oversight of this matter (Chin, 2008). Attendance refers to the availability of the nurse during the times she or he is required to be at their place of work and sometimes even after. The availability of nurses during their shift is essential in a number of sectors in the hospital, and for this reason a glitch in this attendance may lead to various problems that may occur as a result. Areas Affected by a Nurse’s Attendance There are a number of areas within medical facilities that can be affected by the lack of proper attendance by a nurse, some of the more essential sectors that are affected include: Doctors Nurses can be considered to be a doctor’s right hand as they assist greatly in a large number of the activities they are involved in. Nurses in some cases have actually been known to do most of the work when compared to doctors in cases that do not require issues such as surgeries (Chin, 2008). A doctor will come in and evaluate the patient to determine what their ailment is and prescribe the required medication that is needed but a nurse will usually take over the responsibilities henceforth. This will include duties such as administering the prescribed medicine, ensuring the dosage is as per the doctor’s instructions, handle any further complications that may occur such as ensuring the patient is comfortable as well regularly checking up n them to ensure that there are no unexpected changes. If a nurse does not have a proper attendance record, this may in effect cripple the doctor’s activities as it is hard to operate without the assistance of a nurse by their side (Chin, 2008). The lack of an available nurse may mean that a doctor will faced with extra responsibilities that they will have to handle themselves leading to interference in their schedule, which would mean they may not be capable of attending to as many patients as they usually would in cases where a nurse is available. Doctors handle all the responsibilities on their own which would in return reduce the effectiveness of the hospital in general as activities will be crippled as a result (Chin, 2008). The tardiness in a nurse may lead to the need for another to take up extra responsibilities, which would also reduce the quality of work that is done as the said nurse struggles to keep up with both their and their fellow nurse’s duties. Patients This group of people can be considered to be the ones that are mostly affected by a poor attendance by nurses as their wellbeing relies heavily on them. A patient wound not be able to have sufficient service offered to them without the availability of a nurse as a doctor is not accountable for a large number of things that are required by inpatients as well as outpatients and the lack of a proper attendance by a nurse will lead to this innocent group of people suffering as a result (DeWit, 2009). Nurses can be considered to be the ones who take care of the patients once the doctor has finished examining them and given their verdict of what needs to be done and thus without the availability of a nurse this care would not be attainable especially by inpatients. Nurses can be considered to be the groups that interacts the most with patients and perform a large number of duties such as the administering of medicine that has been prescribed to them (DeWit, 2009). In some cases, a doctor may examine a patient and write down a prescription leaving it for a nurse to come and read then administer it as per the instructions. A poor attendance may lead to situations where a patient does not receive their medication within the required time period which may lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of the medicine (Chin, 2008). The nurses are responsible for a number other activities such changing a patient’s bandages, hygiene matters and comfort related issues such as establishing the intensity of pain a patient may be having and reporting to the doctor should an increase in the dosage of pain killers be required. The level of care of the patients that is attributed to the nurses demonstrates the level of effect that their attendance has on this group of people and the essential nature the need for them to maintain a reliable schedule as a result. A poor attendance will lead to the suffering of patients that may require assistance from the nurse. Hospital operations Apart form the doctors and patients, nurses are also responsible for a large part of the hospital operations that take place and thus it is evident that the hospital heavily relies on the availability of nurses for its efficient operations (DeWit, 2009). Thus poor attendance by a nurse may lead to the poor functioning of a hospital in many areas. Some of the sectors that nurses are involved in that do not involve direct medical care include the handling of various records such as the checking in and checking out of patients, they are also responsible for deciding the order in which doctors will see the patients according to the need of the patients that are present (Chin, 2008). They are also responsible for other activities such as keeping record of the stocks within the hospital and ensuring that there is a supply of everything that may be needed from medication to hospital equipment. They are also responsible for keeping record of the hospital’s inpatient capacity at any given time to ensure that there is no congestion within the various wards. The absence of nurses that are required at these stations may lead to the slowing down of hospital operations or the halt of some functions altogether if the activity in question cannot be done without the involvement of the missing nurse (DeWit, 2009). In a medical facility where life and death situations are dealt with every day, a grind in certain areas may prove to be costly and thus a perfect attendance record would be the most preferable feature in a nurse working in such an environment. In serious situations, the absence of a nurse may lead to life threatening situations for patients in serious conditions that could have been simply avoided through the nurse’s presence. It is very essential that a nurse consider these issues when factoring their attendance into the quality of their work. Conclusion It should be noted that health care institutions cannot efficiently operate without the presence of nurses and for this reason, it is highly paramount that they keep a near perfect attendance record to the best of their abilities (Chin, 2008). A nurse should be available whenever they are needed to avoid any serious setbacks that may have grave consequences on innocent people as a result. However, it should be noted that though a good attendance is a very important feature in a nurse it is not always possible for nurses to make this happen and in such a situation it is up to the hospital or medical facility to provide an environment where a nurse is able to achieve this (Chin, 2008). There should also be an understanding between the facility and nurses that allows them the ability to communicate any complication that may arise and affect their attendance without the fear of punishment (DeWit, 2009). Good communication between nurses and medical facilities is essential in ensuring that there is a good relationship between both parties that promotes the operations of the facility. References Chin, P. L. (2008). Integrated theory and knowledge development in nursing (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. DeWit, S. (2009). Fundamental Concepts and Skills for Nursing. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier. Read More