Patient education is a major factor in the care delivery process. The lack of integrity in the field may severely compromise patient outcomes and introduce health risks. The following paper provides an example of a failure of the patient education process, recognizes the ethical, economic, and legal factors related to it, and outlines the professional responsibilities intended to prevent the occurrence of such scenarios.
The described issue is a part of my personal experience and was observed in a hospital setting two years ago. The patient in question was undergoing a pharmaceutical treatment process that involved daily intravenous injections. In order to be aware of the specificities of the process, the patient familiarized herself with the information on the prescribed medications, at which point it became clear that two of them were highly similar in effect and chemical content. When inquired about the rationale behind the approach, the nurse who was delivering the injections explained that one of the medications had “a necessary healing effect” (which was vague and did not correspond to the information found online). After being pointed to the inconsistencies, she reminded the patient of her right to refuse using a specific medication in the treatment process. At this point, it became apparent that the patient was not provided with the necessary information on the effects and the intended purpose of the medication. More importantly, the information was insufficient for making a reasonable and informed decision on the refusal of a specific treatment option.
It should be pointed out that the issue is a rather narrow instance of inappropriate patient education, since the nurse in question was following standards of care, performed all of the necessary actions in a responsible manner, and documented the process appropriately. However, several legal, ethical, and economic factors can be identified that influenced the behavior of the participants. First, the patient clearly had the decision capacity to decide on the elimination of a specific drug. In addition, it is possible to assume that the prescription was conducted without the consultation with the patient, or that insufficient details were given regarding the treatment. Second, the most likely reason for the nurse’s reluctance to provide the requested information in detail can be attributed to the flawed communication between her and a clinician prescribing the treatment.
This issue, in turn, opens up the possibility of a violation of patient safety standards and leads to a number of scenarios where patient’s well-being is put at risk (Bastable, Gramet, Jacobs, & Sopczyk, 2011). Some of these scenarios are specified in the ANA Code of Ethics as violations of patient safety, and, as a result, can serve as a basis for legal action once the evidence of malpractice arises (ANA, n.d.). Finally, it is possible to assert that the identified issues emerge as a result of inadequate funding of the nurse education programs within the organization and, therefore, the allocation of additional funds may improve the situation in the long run.
As a nurse, I consider patient safety one of the top priorities in my practice setting. Thus, a responsible approach to education is one of my professional responsibilities. I fulfill the said responsibilities by participating in the education and training programs available in my organization. In addition, I try to cooperate with the nursing educators and administrators involved in the development and implementation of the programs whenever such an opportunity arises. At the same time, I maintain close contact with clinicians and other facility staff involved in the treatment process, which ensures the availability of relevant information. Finally, I try to inform the patients in the most accessible way and timely detect and address the gaps in patient knowledge. With these responsibilities fulfilled, it is reasonable to expect the minimization of failures in the patient education process.
References
ANA. (n.d.). Code of ethics. Web.
Bastable, S., Gramet, P., Jacobs, K., & Sopczyk, D. L. (2011). Health professional as educator: Principles of teaching and learning. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.