Nursing-Sensitive Indicators - Essay Example

"Nursing-Sensitive Indicators" is a worthy example of a paper on care.
Understanding of the nursing-sensitive indicators is very important, especially when offering care to the patient. Nursing-sensitive indicators help the nurses in the identification of issues that might hamper the delivery of care to the patient. According to the American Nurses Association (2003), the most commonly used nursing-sensitive indicators includes; complications resulting from infection, pressure ulcers, fall by patients, surgical complications such as pulmonary failure, incidences resulting from the failure to rescue patients, and the level of satisfaction by patients on the care given. Understanding these nursing-sensitive indicators by nurses will promote the quality delivery of nursing care to the patient.

In this case, the patient was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a fractured right hip. The patient was also known to have mild dementia. The patient was restrained in bed and as a result, he developed a red depressed area which the nurse had little concern about. The patient also experienced an incidence where he was fed with pork instead of the ordered regular kosher chopped meat. After coming from the bathroom, the nurse put the patient to lie again on his back instead of changing the position.

All these incidences occurred as a result of the failure on the part of the nurse to understand the nursing-sensitive indicators. Understanding these nursing-sensitive indicators could have helped in enhancing optimal monitoring of the patient by the nurse especially when restrained. The nurse could have developed a daily turning plan which could prevent the development of the pressure ulcer. The nurse could also have closely monitored the dietary intake of the patient, hence ensuring that the patient is served the right meal. Therefore, understanding these nursing-sensitive indicators would be of great help to the nurse especially in identifying any issue that could possibly interfere with the proper care of the patient.

Having clear data on the incidences of pressure ulcers and the prevalence of restrained patients would help in improving patient care. The hospital needs to keep data on the number of patients with pressure ulcers, how the pressure ulcers came about, and whether the patient was admitted with the pressure ulcers or it developed in the hospital. There is also a need to have information on the patient with restraints, how often the patients on restraints are monitored, how many patients on the restraints have developed pressure ulcers, and what contributed to the development of the pressure ulcers. The availability of this kind of information will be very vital in planning the patient’s care. The plan of care will in most cases focus on the prevention of the incidences that have already been documented and hence improving the level of care given to the patient.

In this scenario, there is evidence of neglect on the part of the patient. Even though the patient is in the hospital, the nurses have failed in the provision of optimum care to the patient. The patient is developing pressure ulcers due to the failure to institute proper care. The patient was given the wrong meal which was against his order and also was contrary to his religion. As the nursing shift supervisor, I would ensure that there is adequate and clear documentation on the patient’s care. I would also ensure that the nurses develop a comprehensive plan for the provision of nursing care to the patient. The plan of care should be effectively handed over to the other nurses in the coming shift. I would also encourage an interdisciplinary approach with respect to the management of the patient. This will help in ensuring that nurses and other workers collaborate in the care of the patient. This will help in reducing errors, which might come up in the process of care.