Initiatives in Nursing - Assignment Example

? Nursing Institute Nursing What initiatives and training materials are available in your hospital or agency for the recognition and reporting of domestic or child abuse? (KN) The hospital takes advantage of the American Nurses Association’s suggestions on educating clinicians and nurses about the different ways of identifying child abuse, while also conducting conferences that function as training courses that can help nurses and other medical practitioners to be able to identify instances of child abuse. Even though the American Nurses Association was initiated to cater for the needs of nurses alone, it also has a code of ethics that gives numerous suggestions that are of help when nurses communicate with their patients. The hospital also provides technical assistance to community agencies as well as county child welfare institutions. There are different behaviors that can be used to identify child abuse. In the caregivers or parents of the child, these may include: Any reluctance to expose their children or charges to medical examination. Some parents also take their children to different medical facilities in order not to draw suspicion or added questions about the true cause of injuries. There are parents who have offered no valid reasons to explain why their children have wounds or injuries. Some parents refuse to let medical workers speak to their children alone. They also answer on their children’s behalf. There are instances where the caregiver or parent is unresponsive to the child even though the child appears to almost be a young adult who seeks to meet the emotional needs of the parent In the case of the child, these may include: The presentation of a depressed child who seems unduly anxious and is too eager to please the parent. Some children even show a deep fear of the parent. The child may also exhibit emotional problems that are inconsistent with their young age. These may include nightmares or temper tantrums. Other children appear to be emotionally unavailable and do not seek comfort even when they are exposed to suffering. On the other hand, they may appear to be overly-obedient towards their parent or care-giver. When expected to undress, the child may show a reluctance at taking their clothes off, or exhibit extreme passivity when the nurse or doctor starts to examine them In most cases where the child is being severely physically abused, the child will warily follow the parent or care-giver with his eyes as though seeking to perceive when the next blow might come (Wortans, Happell and Johnstone, 2006). 2) Identify where the ethical principles of autonomy, justice, fidelity, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and veracity are implied in the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurse with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2001) to guide the practice of the manager. The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses was created to be a guide for conducting nursing responsibilities in a way that would maintain or preserve the best standards of nursing care. This code also seeks to uphold the ethical obligations of the nursing profession. The first code, non-malfeasance, or ‘first do no harm’, is descriptive of the nurse's obligation to preserve the patient's safety. It is a throwback to the ancient ‘Hippocratic Oath’, and states that the doctor’s first responsibility is to keep from taking actions that will further compromise the health of the patient even before starting to treat the ailment or injury that is affecting the patient. Beneficence, which is the second principle, speaks to ethical concerns; particularly when there is a discrepancy between what may be considered as being good between the patient and hospital, nurse and patient, or even between patients themselves. Options that may have varied moral consequences include approved services, financial reimbursement, matters concerning physical or sexual abuse, or organizational issues like the peck-of-command. Autonomy is the third ethical code and refers to patients’ right to self-determination. For instance, patients have the right to pick the treatments that they will be exposed to even if they are not the choice of doctors. The fourth ethical code, justice, is often based on ensuring that all patients have equitable access to healthcare options whether they are rich or poor (Manojlovich and Laschinger, (2007). Privacy and confidentiality is the fifth ethical principle, and basically seeks to ensure that all patients’ material objects are left to them and not shared unless the patients ask for them to be. Confidentiality also calls for nurses to safeguard all information concerning the private information of their patients. 3) Explain which theory of learning and learning style is applicable to the way in which you learn best. (KN) Bandura’s social learning theory is most conducive for learning in the nursing environment. It encompasses studying the differences between people as related to matters like socioeconomics. This theory allows a nurse to be able to understand why some ethnicities or social groups are predisposed to definite deficiencies or bodily ailments (Borkowski, Amann, Song and Weiss, 2007). The aim of Bandura’s social learning theory in nursing practice is to recognize and decrease socially generated health disparities among patients from different social groups. In nursing the disparities between social classes as defined by Bandura’s social learning theory include susceptibilities to health problems which are exhibited by specific groups. Bandura’s social learning theory does not view individual internal characteristics of affected patients as being responsible for health vulnerabilities, but holds that such vulnerabilities are mainly due to external social elements that might not yet be understood. Doing away with socially derived presumptions about different groups in society involves re-examining issues such as the community members’ access to health care. For instance, the inability to obtain regular health care due to a low socioeconomic status can mean that members of those communities are unable to use proper preventative measures. This will lead to the contraction of preventable illnesses at higher rates than is the case with other demographics. Many health issues are due to the lack of good nutrition. Even though the poor might have access to fruits and vegetables, they may not be able to access this knowledge- and so cannot benefit from this revelation. Nurses can also use Bandura’s social learning theory to lessen the instances of communication failure due to cultural misunderstandings between patients and medical practitioners. 4) How does the nurse manager role contribute positively or negatively to influence job satisfaction of the staff nurses? Give examples and support your answer with research. It is a very challenging thing for a nurse manager to successfully oversee different nurses from different backgrounds and foster an environment that allows them all to be able to thrive. It is a responsibility that requires a lot of skill (Bauer, 2010). Moreover, competent nurse managers can successfully oversee issues such as those concerning union or labor issues while also managing the resources and finances of their units. Nurse managers can also foster a performance oriented as well as positive work culture by establishing different channels of communication and supporting alliances with the staff. This will help nurses to feel more ready to engage with each other while entrusting problems or concerns that they encounter to the nurse manager. It will also help nurses to remain dedicated to realizing the medical facility’s objectives. References Bauer, J. (2010). Nurse practitioners as an underutilized resource for health reform: Evidence based demonstrations of cost-effectiveness. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 22(4), 228–231. Retrieved from http://enp-network.s3.amazonaws.com/FNPN/PDF/Bauer%20Summary%20revised%20legislative%20final.pdf Borkowski, N., Amann, R., Song, S., & Weiss, C. (2007). Nurses’ intent to leave the profession: Issues related to gender, ethnicity, and educational level. Health Care Management Review, 3(2), 160–167. Retrieved from http://fpb.case.edu/news/Docs/Fitzpatrick_NPsJobSatisfaction_Dec10.pdf Manojlovich, M., & Laschinger, H. (2007). The nursing work life model: Extending and refining a new theory. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(3), 256-268. Retrieved from http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/75205/j.1365-2834.2007.00670.x.pdf;jsessionid=1AB3EFE34FDF538B01A6D19692456D81?sequence=1 Wortans, J., Happell, B., & Johnstone, H. (2006). The role of the nurse practitioner in psychiatric/ mental health nursing: Exploring consumer satisfaction. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 13, 78–84. Retrieved from http://www.apna.org/files/public/role_of_NP_patient_perspective.pdf Read More