Nursing Situation (evidence-Based) - Assignment Example

The Nursing Situation-Questioning Practice The Nursing Situation-Questioning Practice A Nursing Situation of the ProblemNurses have considerable knowledge and are supposed to protect patients from possible risks and impacts of disability and infirmity. However, it is unfortunate that those patients who are in a vulnerable psychological and physical condition continuously suffer from wrong site surgeries, putting them at grave risk. Wrong site surgeries range from performing an inappropriate procedure to amputating the wrong part of a body or patient.

When I was working at Arkansas hospital, the surgeon gave me a pen and I marked the wrong limb, leading to irreparable damages to the patient who had his right limb amputated instead of the left one. It was a devastating experience for the entire team and the patient since it altered his life. It damaged the reputation of the health facility after the patient filed a legal suit, causing financial loss and needless suffering and pain. On further review of the cause of the incident, it was noted that the patient’s test results had been mixed up, there were incorrect markings, there was poor communication between the nurses and the doctors, poor teamwork, and there was miscommunication on whether it is the patient’s right or left limb that was to be amputated.

Consequently, the jury found the facility liable of negligence and was heavily fined.Possible SolutionsThe ECRI Institute (2008) affirms that some of the major intervention measures that should be prioritised in order to avoid erroneous operations are the utilization of scheduling forms, ensuring that the entire team has verified a patient’s information prior to the procedure, making sure that the nurses or physicians selected have performed the right site marking, and using time check-outs.

A culture of effective and open communication between the nurses and the patients, as well as the OR team should be cultivated to help prevent future cases of wrong site surgeries. Moreover, team policies, procedures and dynamics that include having a comprehensive checklist is also critical in avoiding reoccurrences. This means that before commencing the procedure or entering the room, the hospital and the entire team should check if they are operating the right person, if they are conducting the right procedure, and whether they are doing it on the right side or part of the body.

The OR nurses should also practice patience with the patients when asking them questions with regard to their operation. It is also important to offer perioperative nurses with sound information on wrong site surgeries to enhance patients’ health and safety. Additionally, patients’ scheduling forms should also be used in the pre-admission process. Proper scheduling includes obtaining a comprehensive record about a patient’s demographic data, which assists in contacting the patient and signing of physical orders.

It also helps in giving the right description of the surgical site, as well as the proposed procedures. As a result, effective scheduling reduces cases of surgical errors and boosts the confidence of the patients and the staff. There should also be effective adoption of the OR turnover to prevent wrong site surgeries. The utilization of a perfectly established policy on the OR turnover among the health organisations ensures proper maintenance and cleaning of the operating site, making it easy for the staff to dispense a patient’s data on time (ECRI, 2008).

Such a strategy is effective in preventing surgical errors that are as a result of inadequate preparation and a patient’s misinformation during the procedures. The use of the aforementioned strategies helps in guaranteeing patient satisfaction and making sure that the right information is shared with the right staff. It also promotes shared decision making, respect, dignity, and safety.ReferenceECRI Institute. (2008). Wrong-Site Surgery Prevention. Health Care Improvement Foundation, 1-38.