Please dont let me die
Situations can change very quickly, especially within a healthcare facility. The nursing staff within a nursing home carries the responsibility of always watching and monitoring the environment to assure the residents are comfortable and cared for in the home. The ethical problem in “Please Don’t Let Me Die” case is malpractice. The nursing staff neglected to care for a patient noticeably in need and continually asking for help. Additionally, the three registered nursed were negligent. The two nurses found culpable in Loren Richard’s death had not successfully overseen the nursing staff to assure the team was following the standard of care. Regardless to the state of the floor prior to the three nurses taking a break, the registered nurses are responsible for the coverage of the floor and care for the patients for the duration of their break. If I had been one of the three registered nurses I would have been mindful of my responsibility and would have scheduled the breaks at different times to assure at least one registered nurse was present on the floor at all times. Additionally, I would have responded to Loren Richard’s cries for help and helped him get the necessary treatment. Having a good balance of qualified staff in relation to patients creates a better-managed environment for any healthcare facility, in this case, a better environment for the residents within the nursing home. “A component of Provision six is that conditions of employment must be conducive to the provision of quality patient care and consistent with the professional values related to individual and collective action” (Fowler, 2008). Mr. Richard’s nursing home did not have appropriate nurse to patient ratio for patient safety. It is also possible that the facility did not have suitable rules and regulations for the nursing staff. However challenging an institution may make it on the nursing staff to provide sufficient care to their patients; it is still the nursing staff’s
References: Campazzi, B. (1980). Nurses, nursing, and malpractice litigation: 1967-1977. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 5(1), 1-18. Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/naqjournal/Citation/1980/00510/Nurses,_Nursing_and_Malpractice_Litigation_.3.aspx Fowler, M. (2008). Guide to the code of ethics for nurse: Interpretation and application. (p.82). Silver Spring: The Publishing Program of American Nurses Association.