Homework Question on The Need of Management Skills in Nursing
Drew is a new RN on a busy 42-bed medical-surgical unit. An aspect of Drew’s new graduate orientation includes training based on the hospital’s policy and procedure and competency check-off in a variety of skills frequently performed by RNs. Drew did well in school and feels he understands the rationale for the policies and procedures. Before he can perform the specified skills without the supervision of his preceptor, he must successfully demonstrate all of his competency check-offs. Drew has completed 75% of his check-offs with his preceptor before his preceptor goes on vacation.
While his preceptor is on vacation, Drew works with another experienced RN who has been authorized to check off Drew’s remaining skills. Drew notices that the experienced RNs expectations are lower than those of his preceptor. The RN completes Drew’s remaining competency check-offs.
Drew notices that the experienced RN does not performing her skills according to the hospital’s policies and procedures and he notes frequent gaps in required infection-control procedures such as hand washing and breaks in sterile technique. Drew is concerned that patients may be at risk for infection and he is concerned that he may be incorrect to judge the experienced RNs technique.
- What is the significance of gaps between (a) what is taught in a nursing textbook, (b) the hospital’s policy and procedures, (c) published literature, and (d) actual practice?
- What is a “culture of safety,” and how would it benefit Drew’s case and the patients’ at his hospital?
- What are Drew’s options for managing his concerns based on what he witnessed? How can he protect patients from an unsafe environment?
- What is Drew’s role in continuous quality improvement?
2-Your best friend, Lindsey, and you are working together in the surgical ICU. Often you cover for her when she goes to lunch or on breaks. You notice that often her clients complain of being in pain, even though she has told you that she medicated them right before she left the unit. You also notice that she appears to be very jumpy and short-tempered and a bit disheveled when she comes to work. You are suspicious that she is using the medications that she says she is giving to her clients.
- What should you do first?
- What might be the consequences if you decide to do nothing?
Homework Answer on The Need of Management Skills in Nursing
Summary
The paper gives an in-depth analysis on the need of management skills in the nursing career due to the numerous challenges experienced by nurses in their day to day work. Problem of conflicts among nurses and patients, and other conflicting policies. The case study aims at helping nurses handle the challenges better in their careers.
Question One
The significance of gaps between (a) what is taught in a nursing textbook, (b) the hospital’s policy and procedures, (c) published literature, (d) actual practice.
American nursing association defines Nursing as the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. In addition, nursing is considered an art and a science. For one to be a competent nurse, there is need to go through the text books, published literature which are considered the science before actual practice which is the art and based on evidence (Schmidt & Brown, 2014). With this in mind it is evident that there are gaps in the literature and the actual practice.
In addition, these gaps are significant for nurses especially when faced with dilemmas. Such gaps emerge as a result of conflict between two or more of the written policies and procedures or the hospitals policies that require nurses to make a decision. It means that one of the ethical principals have to be violated (Whitehead, Weiss & Tappen, 2010). These gaps, therefore, are important in helping to cover for the choices that nurses have to make concerning the learnt theories and the actual practice as well as the conflicting principles. Consequently, the gaps are necessary to address these kinds of misses and conflicts so as to help nurses when faced with conflicting principles.
“Culture of safety,” and how would it benefit Drew’s case and the patients’ at his hospital.
In a hospital setup, both the workers and patients face potential risks on a day to day basis. Due to this, it is necessary to maintain a safe work culture. Culture of safety in the hospital is highly encouraged to prevent blood-borne pathogens, workplace violence, proper body alignment and confined place as stipulated by the occupational safety and health act. It further outlines the need of protecting the workers as well as patients within the hospital setup. It is therefore important to have a culture of safety where reporting of errors is promoted. In turn, it helps to promotes trust, honesty, openness and transparency.