The Nurse Patient Relationship

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Student Name: Lawrence Stephen Essilfie

Student Exam Number: 12234201

Cohort: September, 2012

Module Title: Professional Aspects of Care

Module Code: 4NMH1008

Due date: 29th April, 2013

This assignment will focus on how delivering high quality care and working with people to provide a positive experience of care, can be a fundamental part of the nurse’s role. As a result, the core ethical, professional and legal tasks will be discussed. Identifying how this contributes to the development of the therapeutic relationship will be analysed. The safety and wellbeing of a patient is at the centre and the heart of every nurse. Patients are individual people, who have value, self esteem and therefore the nursing care giving should be excellence: which is delivered with all caution and competency (Dimond, 2009). 

Nurses are one of the largest professional care groups, within the health services responsible for provision of care. The role of a nurse is not just to work in clinical settings but ranges from home districts, communities and much more. It is therefore the role of the nurse to be an advocate to patients and their families, ensure health and to promote wellness in the nation as a whole. It is the role of the nurse to know the importance of equality, diversity, to respect, treat patients according to their individual needs and keeping patients as cheerful as possible (Burnard, 2002).

In addition, the roles of nurse are essential in giving the highest quality of care possible. Quality of care is effective and efficient services that are rendered to patients. High quality care can be in the form of patient protection, fulfilment and reassurance. Also the fundamentals of quality care consist of: convenience, suitability, helpfulness, competence, and justice. The information that involved patient’s treatment should be provided to both patient and family. (Dimond, 2009) states that, the involvement of intimate members is predominantly critical to succeeding comprehensive patient care objectives. Team work and good communication skills plays a vital role in the practice of a nurse, to provide quality care. Possible clinical management is not attainable without teamwork, collaboration across and between professional in the hospital and the communities is essential to build an improved structures and in given safer high quality care (Williamson et al., 2010).

According to (Dimond, 2009) compassion, reverence for all individuality, keeping in mind the ethnicity and different cultures of these patients must reflect in nurse practices. (Edwards 2009) also agrees that, the services provided must be valuable, competent and intended to accomplish a possible goal. He again added that, high quality care have to meet the patients’ preferred delivery outcomes.

Moreover, progress in the quality of care is reliant on the input of nurses, and by the growth of the nurse’s role lately. It is crucial that effective administration clinical judgment of nursing practice takes place. Problem solving and decision making are very important abilities for nursing role. Nonetheless, not only are these processes involved in running and delivering high quality care, but also they are critical for engaging in intended change. Qualified nursing organisations have confirmed that experience in management and analytical is vital in nursing practice (Williamson et al., 2010).

Also, continuous training, gaining new information and job improvement within this field is crucial as it will allow nurses’ to hold their roles with merit, reflect seriously, correspond well and improve their performance in these transform international surroundings. (Edwards 2009) confirmed that, knowledge accomplishment and learning as a necessity to guarantee that, in the changing public wellbeing, health professionals will be capable to successfully assess the health care predicament of their environment and expand appropriate inventive and mutual strategies that will advance study based result and cause the necessary change.

(Jasper, 2003) also stated that, nurses ought to improve their professional skills for them to be capable to create major improvement on health guidelines issues and nursing understanding. Lifetime learning cannot be replaced for anything, as it will assist nurses’ constant creative judgments and ideas for the assistance of the communities where they explore their practice. Therefore, organisations can endeavour to apply and combine usual classroom approaches and try different models to promote this knowledge and professional development.

Additionally, to ensure highest quality of care is given to the patient, a successful nurse patient relationship ought to be established. A therapeutic relationship between a nurse and a patient can be built on a series of communications. All communications do not grow into relationships but May however, be therapeutic. A therapeutic relationship is different from a social relationship if it is intended to meet the patient needs only.

Nurse patient relationship should be based upon the dedication of a nurse to work in partnership with their patient’s (Thompson et al., 2000).

Nevetheless, Nurse patient relationship must also be cultured confidently in order for the nurse to be genuinely devoted to efficiently responding to the needs of the patients. Moreover the care given to patients and the public has to be occasionally improved and be established on proven research end results. Patients need to be excellently encouraged, taught, their comfort and care modelled to meet their needs.  The nursing interactions however must be subjective not single by relationships established with the patients but also those established with their families and other professionals.

Even though, In terms of providing care within the therapeutic nurse patient’s relationship, nurses do meet ethical conflict, indecision and anxiety in their everyday practice. Constant changes in areas like the technology and faith in the health care system, add to these ethical dilemmas. Acceptance, communications, judgment and morals help nurses to prevent ethical conflicts and to work through them when they do occur (Jasper, 2003).

Nonetheless, nursing professionals are restricted by their own code of ethics. Ethics are the principles that guide nursing decisions and conduct as they pertain to what is right or wrong. They also involve moral behaviour. The nurse is expected to behave in a way that maintains the integrity of the patients and family. Situations often arise that require the nurse to make a judgment, and a dilemma results when the nurse’s values differ from those of the patient and family. The nurse must remember that patient have the right to make decisions for themselves without the expressed opinion of the nurse. The principle of autonomy is a right to decide what happens to one’s own body. The other principles are Beneficence which is the legally or morally bound to an action or course. The principle of justice is the obligation to be fair to all people. Non maleficence principle is the duty to no harm or not to cause harm. For example, the nurse might not be comfortable caring for the alcoholic patient, but is ethically obligated to provide the best and most compassionate care possible (Dimond, 2009).

On the other hand, the main ethical theories used in practice are the consequentialism theory, which indicate that the result defines what is decently good. The second key theory is the deontological theory, which indicates that a certain choice is right if it is what most people think is good. Lastly, Virtue theory which is the one that shows compassionate and concern for other individuals and what may be vital to the patient.

Besides, there are legal theories that apply to the practice of nursing and all professions. Because legal action can be taken against the nurse for failure to follow the code of professional conduct, it is important for the nurse to be familiar with legal terminology. These include negligence, malpractice, assault and battery, tort, and fraud. Negligence is defined as a lack of reasonable conduct and care. Negligence involves omitting an act expected of a person with knowledge or performing an act, which a reasonable person would not perform. If the nurse fails to perform an act, such as, putting the side rail up on a bed, and the client falls out of bed, resulting in injury, the nurse can be charged with negligence. It is reasonable for the patient to expect the nurse to know that the side rail should be used to prevent injury. Other example of negligence is the failure to administer medications ordered by the doctors.

Furthermore, the professional governing body has for the most part a more immediate influence over the conduct of its members than that of the law. This is enforced by disciplinary procedures. The NMC issues regulation on aspects of nurse’s obligations and responsibilities within matters such as confidentiality and consent, to avert poor performances at base. Many of the decisions that nurses make in the course of their practice are affected by legal principles, moral reasoning, and code of professional conducts. It is vital for the nurses to be able to differentiate between ethical principles, the law and codes of professional conduct. Also, is helpful to the nurses to develop a clear understanding of the law, ethical issues and code of professional conduct, pertaining to their profession as a way of improving high quality care and to hold   each   nurse accountable for his or her responsibilities   or actions within legal and ethical matters. This is essential to ensuring that decisions are consistent with applicable legal and ethical principles because often nurses act as advocates for their patients. Usually nurses are required to possess a certain amount of knowledge, skills and competency in ethical decision making for the best interest of their patient (Griffith, and Tengnah, 2010).

Law is the collection of binding rules of human conduct or action imposed by the authority, society or tradition. There is a need for every nurse to have a clear understanding of the legal implications of their work so that they can protect themselves and their patients. Also this will help protect them from criminal charges and civil claims when they treat and care for patients. Registered nurses and midwives are regulated by the nursing and midwifery council which is a statutory body set by the parliament. This aims to investigate allegations, lack of competence, promoting standards and to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public (NMC, 2002).

In addition, the nursing practice is universal and hence it cannot be avoided by the communities. The communities perceived nurses responsibilities as alleviation of suffering, restoration of health, illness prevention and health promotion. (Jasper, 2003) states that, because the role of nurses and the essence of their services to the community cannot be avoided: for this reason, they must behave in a professional uprightly in all situations and circumstances. Nurses are therefore indebted to esteem patients’ rights which comprise their right to choice and right to life.

Likewise, nursing practice additionally must not be constrained by the nationality of the patients, sexual orientation, culture or race, disability, politics, gender, age and illness. Also patients are to be given adequate information by the nurse, on which patients could base their consent for treatment related care on (Jasper, 2003).

However, confidentiality must be practice by nurse and only give information concerning the patient after rational judgment and decision making. Nurses will also be compelled to encourage the patients to support all conduct that will guarantee improvement of the patients and their health needs. Nurses are required to strive to improve their competency through continual learning. Researches advances and technology used have to be additionally taken into consideration and be compatible with patient’s rights, safety and dignity.  The high quality of care provided must also not to be compromise regardless (NMC, 2002).

In conclusion, nurses play a very important role in developing, promoting and contributing to the wellbeing of patient. The legal and ethical aspect of nursing put in place guidance and polices to make sure that, nurses provide and maintain the highest quality of care possible. Nurses work professionally alongside with their patient in therapeutic relationship to promote a healthy living. It has been noted also that, nurses are required to be accountable and responsible for their actions in regards to the care they provide. Nurses are endeavouring to engage in continuous learning to improve their knowledge and skills in order to be able to deliver high quality care. Nurses are also to show commitment, understanding and effective way of care delivery.

References:

Burnard, P. (2002). Learning Human Skills: An Experiential and Reflective Guide for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals. Oxford: Butterworth-Heineman.

Dimond, B. (2009). Legal Aspects of Nursing. (5th Ed). Pearsons.

Griffith, R. & Tengnah, C. (2010) Law and Professional Issues in Nursing. (2nd Ed). London Learning Matters Ltd.

Jasper, M. (2003) Beginning Reflective Practice. London: Nelson Thornes Ltd.

Williamson, G. Jenkinson, T. and Proctor Child, T. (2010). Context of Contemporary Nursing. (2nd Ed). Learning Matters. Poole.