Nursing Practice - Essay Example

Running head: nurse practice act Nurse Practice Act Nursing practice is governed by law, and has been assigned with specific rules and regulations stipulated by the nursing practice acts designed by the state boards. This paper identifies three bills, one that has been passed and its implications on the nurses, another that has been vetoed and its implications if not vetoed, and finally a more recent legislation and how nurses can contribute to its success. Firstly, the bill introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (May 13 2009) titled National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act (S. 1031) aimed to establish better nurse-to-patient ratio requirements in hospitals and for other purposes (Track 1031, 2009). This means all hospitals should have a staffing plan that provides adequate, appropriate and quality delivery of health care services and protects patient safety; and is consistent with the requirements of this title. The bill explains nurse-to-patient ratio in various settings. Like, in trauma emergency care unites, this equates to one nurse with one patient; in operating room units, it is one nurse to one patient along with an additional scrub assistant; in critical care units, it is 2 patients to one nurse; 3 patients to one nurse in emergency room units and so on. From the Nursing Practice Act perspective, this allocation should be regarded as highly critical for nurses because a nurse who leaves an inadequately staffed unit could be charged with client abandonment (White, 2000, 92). In addition, the bill also specifically describes certain restrictions and prohibitions to the staffing function. Hospitals are required to maintain and display uniform notice to evince registered nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit. In case of failure to do so, or found incoherent with reality, the hospital as well as nurses can be charged with responsible for dangers and/or damages. In case of inadequate staffing or absence of nurses, it could result in substandard care and be charged with legal complications. Staffing that does not comply with requirements in critical care unit and pediatric units could be at high risk of attracting physical damage to patients and child abuse, respectively, which may render dangerous legal consequences to the hospital as well as nurses. In spite of this bill, and its related consequences on the Nursing Practice Act, hospital nurse staffing still does not really seem to be adequate, looking at huge number of vacant positions in the nursing field. The bill requires the state board to assist hospitals in implementing this bill by providing grants to purchase safe patient handling equipment; establish procedures to allow filing of complaints against violation of this Act; facilitate to fill shortage gaps of nurse-to-patient ratios; provide grants to education of nurses; and commission grants to mentor nurses and hospital staff in implementing these requirements effectively. For nurses, this Act provides for assistance with training in handling patients safely; secondly, it provides the right to advocacy for patient and right to discard tasks that they are not adequately trained on or have knowledge about, and prohibits the hospital to dismiss nurses for not taking up certain job. These factors can be of significant advantage to nurses and hospitals in attracting more number of people into nursing profession; also in encouraging nurses to take up higher and advanced nursing certifications. These factors seem to bring about adequate nursing staffing in hospitals; however, practical applicability should also focus equally on providing an adequate work-life balance to nurses by avoiding working long hours; providing other benefits of employment such as leaves, outings, flexible working hours if required. If the demands meted out in the Bill are met appropriately, nurses’ job will look much more simplified and enjoyable. In addition, nurses will be able to adhere to legal and moral requirements of their job. In my opinion, this bill answers most of the issues faced by nurses in contemporary times, and comprehensively covers all rights that nurses could get being in this profession. From the nurses’ perspective, It addresses the issue of stress and burnout which normally nurses experience; it can minimize work overload attributable to the prohibition of mandatory overtime; it encourages nurses to pursue higher and advanced nursing courses by providing grants; its proposal of training to minimize risks of accidents for nurses can minimize sickness and absenteeism; it also minimizes potential for legal risks due to work overload and stress. However, what the bill does not include is the need for plan of career path for nurses, and also does not address issues related to recruitment of more nurses. It could be time consuming for hospitals to achieve desired outcomes. Considering the bill AB 399, a bill to aid elder abuse victims in nursing homes by improving investigations of abuse and neglect, which was vetoed by the Governor, Schwarzenegger, according to CANHR Press release, could have helped California Department of Public Health to complete investigations within specified time limits (CANHR, 2007). This bill should not have been vetoed by the Governor because it could have given relief to the complainants at least by letting them know that investigation is happening and by when they could expect the findings. Abuse and neglect have been reportedly high in California nursing homes, and required attention at an alarming rate. Speeding up investigation process would surface the offenders and their punishment to the offence; this could eventually help in reducing the offences. By not speeding up and letting the investigations to take place in their own pace, the offenders seem to be getting leeway for more offences. This bill could have been one important measure to cut such offences. In addition to minimizing such offences, it would prompt hospital personnel to be more cautious as the hospital’s reputation would also be at stake in such reporting. The recently introduced ‘Ban Poisonous Additives Act’ in the form of Bisphenol-A (BPA) Legislation (S. 593/H.R. 1523) by Senator Feinstein and Congressman, Markely, imposes a ban on this harmful chemical usually found in food and beverage containers (Occupation Health, n.d). Although the government has taken substantial measures to educate citizens about this harmful ingredient, its pace of spreading awareness does not seem to be congruent to the usage of these containers. We as a group, and as a part of the ANA, will put in additional efforts to spreading the awareness of poisonous impact of Bisphenol-A through different initiatives such as putting up posters on notice boards; placing pamphlets in all hospital wards; distributing the same through news papers and magazines; consciously looking for such containers, and reporting the same if found. We as a group can also conduct special sessions to educate rest of the hospital staff and students. References CANHR Press Release. (2007). Governor Vetoes Bill to Protect Nursing Home Abuse Victims. Published October 16, 2007. CANHR, Long Term Care Justice and Advocacy. Accessed May 19, 2010 from, http://www.canhr.org/newsroom/releases/2007/Press_Release20071016.html Occupation Health. (n.d). Support the Ban Poisonous Additives Act (S. 593 and H.R. 1523). American Nurses Association. www.nursingworld.org. Accessed May 19, 2010 from, http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/OccupationalandEnvironmental/occupationalhealth.aspx White, L. (2000). Foundations of nursing: caring for the whole person. U.S.A: Cengage Learning. Track 1031. (2009). S. 1031: National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act. 111th Congress 2009-2010. Govtrack.us. Accessed May 19, 2010 from, http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-1031 Read More