NSG/426: Integrity In Practice: Ethic And Legal Considerations

Wk 1 Discussion – Nurse Claims Report

Instructions: Reply substantively to at least 2 of your classmates. Be constructive and professional in your responses. Response ranges from 150 to 300 words per student.

**Leticia F.

In review of the Nurse professional liability exposures: 2015 claim report update what struck me the most is that nurses who lack access to evidence based practice (EBP) have a higher average indemnity payment than those with access. According to Walker (2011) nurses need to practice to the highest standard and staying knowledgeable about your practice will keep both you and your patient safe. As nurses we need to keep ourselves up to date with current practices and ensure we are utilizing EBP to provide our patients with the best possible outcome.

The claim that stood out to me was the most was of the 38-year-old female admitted to the ICU post total abdominal hysterectomy (CNA & NSO, 2015). The nurse failed to notify the practitioner about the patients change in status. When the patients blood pressure first started to decline the nurse should have started to monitor vitals more frequently this would have alerted the nurse of the continued decline in status regardless of transfusions. Also, after the nurse received the repeat lab results (hemoglobin 7.4 and hematocrit 22), the nurse failed to notify the practitioner about the patients continued decline. After a severe drop in blood pressure (63/21) the nurse was given a STAT order for two units of packed red blood cells. After waiting an hour for the blood, the nurse gave report to the oncoming nurse about the pending transfusion. What should have happened is the nurse who received the order should have called the lab directly to inquire about the blood. If the blood was not available, then it should have been reported to the charge nurse or practitioner. As nurses we are our patients advocate and we need to protect our patients from harm especially when they do not have a voice.

References

Nurses Service Organization. (2015). Nurse professional liability exposures: 2015 claim report update. https://aonaffinity-blob-cdn.azureedge.net/affinitytemplate-dev/media/nso/images/documents/cna-nurse-claim-report-101615.pdf?refID=iiWLTNPi

Walker, Rebecca & JD, MSN. (2011). Elements of negligence and malpractice. Nurse Practitioner, 36, 9-11. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000396597.73019.45

**Joanna H.

What struck me the most while reading the Nurse Professional Liability Exposures: 2015 Claim report Update, is that although the frequency of medication errors has been reduced by half since the last report in 2011, the severity of medication errors has increased by double (CNA & NSO, 2015). The reduction of medication errors is related to the advancement in informatics and technology, but technology cannot force a nurse to utilize critical thinking or apply the 5 rights of medication administration. For example, if a patient has been having diarrhea and is at risk for electrolyte/fluid imbalance, it would be inappropriate to administer a laxative even if it is a scheduled medication. While this medication may usually be harmless, it could cause the patient to develop an abnormal heart rhythm if he/she is already dehydrated. Safe medication administration is a vital component of nursing, but the reliance on technology or barcode scanning is not sufficient to safely administer medications. 

An allegation that stuck out for me was the case of the elderly patient who was administered a sedative and then suffered a fall which caused him to be down for hours, with the door closed (CNA & NSO, 2015). The nurse also failed to engage the bed alarm. This situation was very unfortunate and could have been easily prevented if the alarm was on. The nurse should have advocated for the patient and requested a room closer to the nursing station for closer patient monitoring. It seems obvious that the door should not have been shut. Hourly rounding and bedside shift report are effective nursing interventions to reduce the incidence of patient falls (Sun et al., 2020). Frequent nursing rounds that address patient needs such as toileting, positioning and ensuring personal items are within reach are simple actions that can reduce fall risks. Bedside shift report allows the nurse to visualize (at the beginning of the shift) any potential safety issues and address patient concerns or questions.

CNA, & SNO. (2015). Nurse professional liability exposures: 2015 claim report update.https://aonaffinity.blob.core.windows.net/affinitytemplate-dev/media/nso/images/documents/cna-nurse-claim-report-101615.pdf

Sun, C., Fu, C., O’Brien, J., Cato, K., Stoerger, L., Levin, A. (2020). Exploring practices of bedside shift report and hourly rounding. Is there an impact on patient falls?. Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(6), 355-362. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000897

Do you need a similar assignment done for you from scratch? We have qualified writers to help you. We assure you an A+ quality paper that is free from plagiarism. Order now for an Amazing Discount!
Use Discount Code "Newclient" for a 15% Discount!

NB: We do not resell papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.