NUR1201 Partnering In Care

Introduction– While working in a healthcare setting, a nurse witnesses countless of falls that result in injuries to the patients and can often be fatal. The article is a reflective analysis of an incident that will aim to understand patient experience and partnership between families and care providers to prevent such falls.   

Description– I will use the Gibb’s reflective cycle to describe this critical incident. Mr. Taylor had tripped over a concrete piece and flopped into the gutter and suffered serious injuries. Few days later, he again fell down after a dizzy spell and was diagnosed for double whammy with anemia. Furthermore, he did not have a good experience at a public hospital. 2 themes of relevant nursing care are understanding patient experiences and forming an effective collaboration to prevent patient falls.

Feelings– I felt very disappointed and angry to know that the staff had been extremely unprofessional and displayed negligence during his kidney pain. I was highly annoyed that the surgeon described his condition in a rude manner. However, I felt happy to know that the physiotherapist provided complete assistance to help him cope with the injuries.  

Values-The 3 values that underpin my feelings as a nurse are care, compassion and commitment. I intend to show respect and empathy for my patients to ensure that his dignity is always upheld (Cameron et al., 2012). I always listen attentively, understand to the holistic needs of each patient, and always advocate for my patients. Furthermore, I always focus on following a person-centered approach that facilitates my lifelong learning. My passion for professionalism underpins my commitment towards my patient (Karlsson, Magnusson, von Schewelov & Rosengren, 2013).

Analysis– The hospital authorities had displayed extreme negligence in not attending Mr. Taylor, while he was suffering from kidney pain. In addition, there was lack of professionalism on the part of the doctors who were involved in amputating his father’s lower limb. Understanding patient perspectives related to their stay at hospitals and their health status can help in early detection of physiological abnormalities (Staggs, Knight & Dunton, 2012). Including patients in risk communication and asking them about the reason they consider that might be responsible for previous loss of balance and subsequent falls reduce falls. Collaboration with the families help the latter to identify the risk factors (Choi & Hector, 2012). This collaboration between the key stakeholders creates a meaningful difference in improvement of patient safety. Together, the healthcare professionals and the family members can offer mitigation strategies that can reduce severity of fall related injuries.

Conclusion– documentation of fall history is one quality indicator for fall management. Persuading the staff to adopt strategies will reduce staff resistance, thereby acting as a visible indicator (Berland, Gundersen & Bentsen, 2012). In addition, recording the cognitive and functional status of the patient also acts as an indicator that can be implemented in the fall prevention programs

Action plan– My action plan includes documenting an assessment of fall risks and monitoring the changes in his medical condition. I will build a rapport with patient and their family and educate the latter on the different risk factors that can worsen their condition (Hempel et al., 2013). I will assist them to immediately report any problems, when a patient returns home. I will also reinforce instructions and facilitate their understanding of giving correct footwear and clothing, and assisting during walking and safe exercises (DuPree, Fritz-Campiz & Musheno, 2014).

Essay conclusion– To conclude, it can be stated that falls are a serious problem for the elderly and can often be fatal in addition to causing distress, loss of confidence, loss of independence and injuries. This reflective essay helped me identify the several gaps that were associated with the falls that Mr. Taylor had suffered from. It also provided me a clear understanding of the fact that forming an effective teamwork with the family and understanding patient perspectives can prevent these untoward incidents.

References:

Berland, A., Gundersen, D., & Bentsen, S. B. (2012). Patient safety and falls: A qualitative study of home care nurses in Norway. Nursing & health sciences, 14(4), 452-457. DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2012.00701.x

Cameron, I. D., Gillespie, L. D., Robertson, M. C., Murray, G. R., Hill, K. D., Cumming, R. G., & Kerse, N. (2012). Interventions for preventing falls in older people in care facilities and hospitals. The Cochrane Library. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005465.pub3

Choi, M., & Hector, M. (2012). Effectiveness of intervention programs in preventing falls: a systematic review of recent 10 years and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 13(2), 188-e13. DOI- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2011.04.022

DuPree, E., Fritz-Campiz, A., & Musheno, D. (2014). A new approach to preventing falls with injuries. Journal of nursing care quality, 29(2), 99-102. DOI: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000050

Hempel, S., Newberry, S., Wang, Z., Booth, M., Shanman, R., Johnsen, B., … & Ganz, D. A. (2013). Hospital fall prevention: a systematic review of implementation, components, adherence, and effectiveness. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 61(4), 483-494. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12169

Karlsson, M. K., Magnusson, H., von Schewelov, T., & Rosengren, B. E. (2013). Prevention of falls in the elderly—a review. Osteoporosis international, 24(3), 747-762. DOI- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-012-2256-7

Staggs, V. S., Knight, J. E., & Dunton, N. (2012). Understanding unassisted falls: effects of nurse staffing level and nursing staff characteristics. Journal of nursing care quality, 27(3), 194-199. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0b013e318241da2d