Standardized Healthcare Service Delivery - Essay Example

Nursing Reflection Nursing Reflection Introduction Nursing practice involves dealing with different people from different backgrounds. The challenges and problems that nurses face in the line of duty are many and errors made during practice cannot also be overlooked. Different situations or circumstances bring new experiences that may be tricky for a nurse thereby making them deliver substandard services that are short of the set nursing standards and ethical provisions. The need to learn from mistakes by formulating ways of avoiding errors in future builds extensively on nursing practice (Dolphin, 2013). Nurses are prone to dilemmas, emotional turmoil and psychological challenges that can lower their professional performance. It is through a critical analysis of the situations they go through and strategizing that can produce consistent standardized healthcare service delivery. Personal Experience Having secured a clinical placement in one medical facility that has several health units with different patients, the experience should be evaluated. One outstanding element with this center is that all other units were shut down since there was a serious respiratory infection. The unit I worked in had a number of patients suffering from the same issue. The second day of my duty saw me tasked with carrying out an assessment to the patients I was handling. They were suffering from respiratory infections and exhibited symptoms such as coughing and sore throat among others. I went into their rooms without the required protective gear such as gloves and masks since they were not available. Although the dispensers that are supposed to contain the tools were available, they were all empty. It took the intervention of a colleague nurse to refill the boxes after I asked for them. Unfortunately, only one box containing masks could be found. Strange enough, even the support workers at the facility did not find the need to put on the masks to enter the isolated rooms; something that I watched in immense disbelief and astonishment. Sad enough, I witness three people die owing to negligence and lack of proper handling of the isolated patients. This has since prompted me to undertake a comprehensive reflection into the experience. Literature Review Problems associated with improper actions in handling patients with respiratory infections has seen a number of researches conducted to analyze and recommend the best practices (Dolphins, 2013). Researchers generally believe that providing a good healthcare facility with sufficient instruments and facilities can protect people in that environment from contracting or succumbing to the respiratory infections. A number of studies have, therefore, been done to set this issue into a theoretical perspective and outcomes have evidentially pointed at one angle in regards to this matter. In a study conducted by Utsumi et al. (2010) with an aim to determine the current pathogens in the areas, it was found that diverse agents are the reason for an outbreak of fatalities in a facility such as the elderly home in which this research was conducted. The research identified lack of proper response and unavailability of adequate facilities to be used by the nurses and the health workers such as masks and gloves being a facilitator in most of the long-term facilities available in many countries making this problem difficult to stop. It was recommended that fastest response in aid of proper facilities should be made in order to curb such incidences from claiming many lives (Utsumi, 2010). According to a report by Asselin, et al. (2012)., it is held that in managing and controlling epidemics such as those of seasonal influenza outbreak in a long term facility, a great role is on the nursing community in that hospital to ensure that they use strategies that can help curb and neutralize the spread of the infections. Statistics presented by Utsumi et al. (2010) in the report about influenza is so evidential such that the whole issue is addressed with precision and accuracy. Influenza, in this journal is reported to be a respiratory illness that easily spreads to people through acts such as coughing and seasonal influenza appears a week elapses since its transmission. It was found that children under 2 years and adults over 65 years are highly susceptible to Influenza. In a study carried out by Brienen, et al. (2010) to find out the influences that using mask has on proliferation of respiratory infections, substantial results were made that are worth considering. Face mask helps retard the spread of influenza thereby increasing general safety. It was revealed using face masks brings down chances of infections from both people who shows sign and those who do not making it an effective precautionary measure. Brienen et al. (2010) report that wearing of a mask is psychologically effective. Aerosol spread can only be curbed through this measure and no any other way. Another study by Jenkinson et al. (2006) to determine the best strategies to use in controlling and counter neutralizing acute respiratory infection had several revelations which shade light into mysteries of handling these epidemics in a healthcare facility. It was determined that virus especially influenza are the main drive behind the spread of respiratory infections. Transmission through air is obviously a major mode that requires great mechanisms put in place to curb it if the residents’ safety is a real top priority (Jenkinson et al., 2006). Some of the recommendations according to this study include use of the necessary PPE instruments such as gloves, keeping an arm-length distance between the person suffering from the diseases and others, application of clinical triage to recognize those who have developed the problems way before it spreads and affect many people at the facility (Jenkinson et al., 2006). In a research to determine the perception and response that health workers in the acute care facility demonstrate when it comes to ‘reflection, it was found that although many nurses who have been extensively in practice for long time use and apply the strategy, the methods and ways in which was done was not efficient. The study appreciated the significance of the activity and recommended that nursing management facilities should encourage and emphasize on this as it is the best way to develop the nursing team. Contextual Implications of the Literature In my case, the research studies portray my situation as lack of supply of materials such as masks and gloves as revealed in report by Asselin et al. (2012). This facility I worked for did not have the protective gears needed to reduce the spread of the epidemic. Isolation alone could not solve the problem if there were no facilities to handle the situation well. Personally, I should have restrained from getting to the resident without properly protected. It was a great health risk that I took which should never be repeated. Consequently, the management of the facility needs to invest as much as possible to avail these PPE instruments so that residents can be safe (Poallilo et al., 2010). This also implies that both the nurses and the management should respond to any outbreak much faster and earlier so as to avoid being caught off-guard when they lack resources. Future Response and Remedy to same Challenge The management and I should in future, act differently by being proactive in responding to the outbreak and a more professional process be engaged in handling the situation. We should take control and be in charge as the solutions lie with our practice. It was a great learning experience that should sharpen and commission us to performing better than we did in responding to such outbreaks. The passion and humane that the colleague nurse and the management have towards assisting patients and restoring their health should not only be hypothetical but also practically demonstrated through availing facilities and structures necessary in ensuring quick response is achieved in combating such epidemics. Personally, I should take great caution whenever I am posted to work in a similar environment. These precautionary steps involve identifying the fact that the patients I am dealing with are ‘delicate’ and any error made in service provision procedure can result into a big health hazard. I will ensure that the right facilities and resources for handling Respiratory Infection patients are available way before I engage in an active interaction with the residents. In case they are not available, I will immediately raise an alarm to the relevant authorities so that a more professionally conducive environment that is safe from harm is created. I will also work hand in hand with fellow nurses to communicate concerns regarding inefficiencies that can stagnate me from delivering quality service within the standards of the nursing practice (Dolphin, 2013). Conclusion Reflection is evidentially significant in nursing practice and it is requisite in long success in nursing service delivery. Learning from the mistakes made in the past through subjecting oneself to introspection is critical in meeting goals of high future performance in service delivery (Dolphin, 2013). In nursing professions that handle acute patients, level of stress and challenges they go through can only be harmonized when reflection is critically done. Respiratory infection is one of those that present nurses with problems are it is easily transmitted and nurses working in Long Term Facilities that do not have proper resources to protect its residents will see it prevail greatly. References Asselin, M., Schwartz-Barcott, D., & Osterman, P. (2012). Exploring reflection as a process embedded in experienced nurses practice: a qualitative study. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 69(4), 905-914. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06082.x Brienen, N., Timen, A., Wallinga, J., Van Steenbergen, J., & Teunis, P. (2010). The effect of mask use on the spread of influenza during a pandemic. Risk Analysis, 30(8), 1210-1218. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01428.x Dolphin, S. (2013). How nursing students can be empowered by reflective practice. Mental Health Practice, 16(9), 20-23. doi:10.7748/mhp2013.06.16.9.20.e867 Jenkinson, H., Wright, D., Jones, M., Dias, E., Pronyszyn, A., & Hughes, K. et al. (2006). Prevention and control of infection in non-acute healthcare settings. Nursing Standard, 20(40), 56-63. doi:10.7748/ns2006.06.20.40.56.c4181 Poalillo, F., Geiling, J., & Jimenez, E. (2010). Healthcare personnel and nosocomial transmission of pandemic 2009 influenza. Critical Care Medicine, 38, e98-e102. doi:10.1097/ccm.0b013e3181d41d45 Utsumi, M., Makimoto, K., Quroshi, N., & Ashida, N. (2010). Types of infectious outbreaks and their impact in elderly care facilities: a review of the literature. Age And Ageing, 39(3), 299-305. doi:10.1093/ageing/afq029 Read More