Professional Nursing Concept and Challenges - Assignment Example

Professional Nursing Concept and Challenges Negligence is the central issue in malpractice. Negligence is the failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would have acted in the same circumstance (Beth Perry 2008).   Negligence occurs when a professional, for example a nurse, fails to act as a reasonably prudent professional would have acted under the same circumstances. “Malpractice is not limited to what a nurse does that commission; it also refers to what a nurse fails to do that is omission in a nursing care situation” (Beth Perry 2008).  This may sound as a little miscommunication but it is not as easy as it seems. Under these conditions the nurse was negligent because so many things could have gone wrong due to her actions. According to Ashley 2003, once a nursing assignment has been accepted, it is the duty of the nurse to fulfill the patient care assignment or transfer responsibility for that care to another qualified person. Even though the nurse is not directly being negligent toward the patient, they are indirectly putting the patient in harm which is also negligence. Nursing is teamwork and I see it in the same way as going home without your relief. Within that time frame someone might need his medication, someone might need the code team and from all these I see this as a great negligence. The biggest reasons for lawsuits against nurses include medication errors; communication errors; failure to monitor and assess; failure to properly advocate for the patient; working while impaired, whether by inadequate sleep or controlled substances; and negligent or inappropriate delegation and supervision.   You have made a good point that the nurse is not directly being negligent toward the patient, put they are indirectly putting them in at risk. Nurses play a huge role when it comes to medical errors and communication errors. I agree with the statement, but the major cause of nursing suits is the communication failures which affect the performance of the duty. Nursing efficiency requires a high level of communication and integration of the various medical professionals. The integration of the professionals will ensure proper diagnosis and care of the patients, which reduces cases of negligence. Reflection one The NCLEX application is very long and exciting. When I was filling it out I felt so happy thinking that I will be doing it in a year. The 200 dollar fee seems a lot but it’s for a good cause. It is for our license. I am glad that they will be doing a background check since this is a very responsible profession where nurses’ background is very significant. We have people’s lives in our hands. It made me think about why the application asks about pedophilia, exhibitionism, or voyeurism. Then I realize that there are maybe people with the above conditions and the application is making sure those people are being caught during the application process.             I was very surprised by the student loan and child support section of the application. I was not sure why they were asking the question on NCLEX application. What if they had a history of not support supporting a child because of financial hardships? Would they not be able to get a license? I am not sure why. For the student loans, they were saying; if we show an evidence of the paying arrangements that is acceptable. I think the section focus on establishing the responsibility value of the applicant. for instance, if the applicant is able to take care of his or her responsibility it illustrate that he or she will be able to undertake his duties effectively.             It was also interesting to read statues and regulations. This let us know who is a nurse, what is a nurse, what are our responsibilities, what we can and can’t do. What we could delegate, what we cannot. How do we collaborate with other healthcare team members and knowing what to do at appropriate time? Stacy, I was also surprised to see the student loan child support on the application. The collection of the vital data of the applicant will enable scrutiny to be undertaken on the suitability of the applicant for the position applied for. Nurses deal with patients who may be difficult to handle. Therefore, mental stability is vital in the process. Data collection of the applicant ensures that all the applicant is reviewed with the best suited getting the training. I think the approach ensures success of the nurses selected. I strongly agree with the process despite the challenges it pose. 1. Overall I think the whole application process is straight forward and required things that are very important which the Board of Nursing must know about each applicant. It is very detailed and I will be happy to complete it as soon as I finish my program. But my initial reaction is how they are going to disqualify someone after spending all that money and time into your education to become a nurse. I personally think one should apply to the board and be accepted first before they even admitted into the nursing program. Because once you are in the program you will have access to patients who are the people they are trying to protect. At clinical students get access to patient’s records and information and treat patients as well. I noticed that there was a fee of $200 for the New Jersey Board of Nursing Application Licensure by Examination which includes $120 for license, $75 application fee and a $5 for surcharge. There is a fee for fingerprinting as well. We are talking about someone straight from school without a job, so I definitely thought this number is too high. All these affect the minorities and contribute for the shortage of nurses in the country. When entering into a nursing profession of integrity that cares for the welfare of people, the Board of Nursing needs to ensure that they are accepting people who have the qualities to make the profession better. For safety purposes the finger printing part of the process should be taken seriously and I think they should make it mandatory to any renewal as well so as to get rid of those who manage to get into the profession and commit crime later. I do understand the profession is of high integrity, but how should they disqualify someone the chance of a job to enable the person to earn some money to pay the student loan or the child support the person owes. Patel, I totally agree with you that should find way to get rid those who committed crime before sitting for the board examination. The evaluation of the character and reliability of the applicant is vital in the development of the necessary safety issues. In fact, the major challenge on quality health care is brought up by individuals who do not fit in the nursing careers.             Read More