Summary Of Patient Safety: The Ethical Imperative
Running head: Patient safety: the ethical imperative
Patient safety: the ethical imperative
by
Chaini C. Demas
A Paper
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for HSA 515
Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics
Strayer University
Summer 2010
Patient safety: the ethical imperative
Patient safety is and should always be the most important aspect a health care provider considers. The article, Patient safety: the ethical imperative, reports errors found in a 3-year study that was carried out in 29 small, rural hospitals in several western states. The study established that most mistakes fall within the globe of nursing practice. According to the study, physicians, …show more content…
administrators, and nurses themselves place patient safety as chiefly a nursing responsibility. If this is so, does this mean that physicians and administrators are not to be held responsible for patient safety? As such, this paper will evaluate the importance of ethics and morality of physicians, administrators, and nurses in the event of an error.
Nurses are very important individuals within the health care field.
Physicians rely on nurses to carry out orders in a timely and precise manner. Nurses are the foundation of the health care profession because they are not only there to provide relief and concern. They are also role models for good health care. Because physicians are often in a hurry they don’t have the time needed to establish a proper relationship with their patients. Therefore, nurses are used to assess patients and communicate imperative information to physicians on behalf of patients to ensure patients receive proper care. Nurses should never hide a mistake from physicians or patients.
Physicians owe the duty of providing medical treatment to their patients. Physicians and patients have a relationship that is built on trust and confidence. Patients expect physicians to be diligent, to inform them of what is going on, and to continue their care until treatment or the relationship has ended appropriately. Although nurses are used to relay information, patients would rather hear their diagnosis from the physician. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, physicians should never conceal a mistake from patients or …show more content…
nurses.
Some administrators assist in managing health facilities and also coordinate and organize the financing and delivery of care. Administrators on the executive-level are exceedingly educated and are generally responsible for policy directions. Executive-level administrators review services, equipment and personnel need, and also recommend the development or reduction of services, and the founding of new or secondary facilities. The duties of an executive-level administrator also involve government agency and regulation compliance.
After reviewing the duties of nurses, physicians, and administrators, it is evident that ethics and morality play a major role in patient safety. Each professional status has different levels of importance but that does not disregard the fact that the patient should be safe at all times. Patients do not seek medical help to become more ill. They want and need treatment and expect nurses and physicians to help provide services that will ensure their recovery.
In the process of receiving treatment, patients fear the possibility of having to pay for services that are too expensive, or having to receive treatment in a building that has equipment from the early 1900s or looks like it has been abandoned.
This is where the administrator’s role of ethics and morality come in to play. Ethically and morally, administrators should consider patients safety when making decisions regarding the modernization of a facility where patients gather seeking some form of treatment. If a patient complains about fees and expresses concerns of methods of payment, administrators should feel obligated to make sure staff is capable of accurately informing patients of their options. Administrators should make suggestion boxes available, or send out surveys so that patients can voice their experience with the facility and the staff. The equipment purchased should demonstrate its use
appropriately.
Since nurses and physicians work directly with patients, patient safety should be engraved into their thoughts. Because nurses communicate the patient’s problems to the physician, nurses should be accurate. If they feel the need to ask a question again to ensure accuracy, do so.
In conclusion, nurses and physicians interact with patients on a more personal level. Therefore, nurses and physicians have a responsibility to inform patients of what is going on no matter if something went wrong or not. They also owe patients the courtesy of finding ways to make certain mistakes are not re-occurring. However, administrators have a role of ensuring patient safety as well. Patients rely on administrators to manage health care facilities so that the facilities and equipment are suitable. Patients have the right to know everything that is going on with them.
Patient safety: the ethical imperative
by
Chaini C. Demas
A Paper
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for HSA 515
Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics
Strayer University
Summer 2010
Patient safety: the ethical imperative
Patient safety is and should always be the most important aspect a health care provider considers. The article, Patient safety: the ethical imperative, reports errors found in a 3-year study that was carried out in 29 small, rural hospitals in several western states. The study established that most mistakes fall within the globe of nursing practice. According to the study, physicians, …show more content…
administrators, and nurses themselves place patient safety as chiefly a nursing responsibility. If this is so, does this mean that physicians and administrators are not to be held responsible for patient safety? As such, this paper will evaluate the importance of ethics and morality of physicians, administrators, and nurses in the event of an error.
Nurses are very important individuals within the health care field.
Physicians rely on nurses to carry out orders in a timely and precise manner. Nurses are the foundation of the health care profession because they are not only there to provide relief and concern. They are also role models for good health care. Because physicians are often in a hurry they don’t have the time needed to establish a proper relationship with their patients. Therefore, nurses are used to assess patients and communicate imperative information to physicians on behalf of patients to ensure patients receive proper care. Nurses should never hide a mistake from physicians or patients.
Physicians owe the duty of providing medical treatment to their patients. Physicians and patients have a relationship that is built on trust and confidence. Patients expect physicians to be diligent, to inform them of what is going on, and to continue their care until treatment or the relationship has ended appropriately. Although nurses are used to relay information, patients would rather hear their diagnosis from the physician. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, physicians should never conceal a mistake from patients or …show more content…
nurses.
Some administrators assist in managing health facilities and also coordinate and organize the financing and delivery of care. Administrators on the executive-level are exceedingly educated and are generally responsible for policy directions. Executive-level administrators review services, equipment and personnel need, and also recommend the development or reduction of services, and the founding of new or secondary facilities. The duties of an executive-level administrator also involve government agency and regulation compliance.
After reviewing the duties of nurses, physicians, and administrators, it is evident that ethics and morality play a major role in patient safety. Each professional status has different levels of importance but that does not disregard the fact that the patient should be safe at all times. Patients do not seek medical help to become more ill. They want and need treatment and expect nurses and physicians to help provide services that will ensure their recovery.
In the process of receiving treatment, patients fear the possibility of having to pay for services that are too expensive, or having to receive treatment in a building that has equipment from the early 1900s or looks like it has been abandoned.
This is where the administrator’s role of ethics and morality come in to play. Ethically and morally, administrators should consider patients safety when making decisions regarding the modernization of a facility where patients gather seeking some form of treatment. If a patient complains about fees and expresses concerns of methods of payment, administrators should feel obligated to make sure staff is capable of accurately informing patients of their options. Administrators should make suggestion boxes available, or send out surveys so that patients can voice their experience with the facility and the staff. The equipment purchased should demonstrate its use
appropriately.
Since nurses and physicians work directly with patients, patient safety should be engraved into their thoughts. Because nurses communicate the patient’s problems to the physician, nurses should be accurate. If they feel the need to ask a question again to ensure accuracy, do so.
In conclusion, nurses and physicians interact with patients on a more personal level. Therefore, nurses and physicians have a responsibility to inform patients of what is going on no matter if something went wrong or not. They also owe patients the courtesy of finding ways to make certain mistakes are not re-occurring. However, administrators have a role of ensuring patient safety as well. Patients rely on administrators to manage health care facilities so that the facilities and equipment are suitable. Patients have the right to know everything that is going on with them.