Legal Aspects of Nursing- Homework 5 - Essay Example

The installed monitoring gadget was more accurate with the operation of the nurse and if the case was to be taken from this instant then the conspicuous and repeated discrepancy between the two records were sufficient evidence to justify the actions of the facility. As the case proceeded to the trial levels, things were bound to change(Sloan, 1993). From the confession of other nurses that the facility did not have proper policy on documentation of narcotics and most of them had equally taken invalid records, gave the nurse upper hand to verify her claim.

The discrepancy realized may have been as a result of mistakes made in undertaking the manual documentation for which the facility management seemed not give much attention. Testimony of the other nurses over uncensored manual documentation painted negligence on the side of the facility and therefore they lacked concrete incriminating evidence to suspend the nurse. This means that the testimony of the other nurses turned tables against the defense of the facility for suspending the nurse. The institution just realized that there had been a massive misinformation due to invalid records that must have been documented over time by most of the nurses (Sloan, 1993).

The facility management therefore remained more exposed in its incompetency to make sound documentation policies which are the backbone of efficient operation of the facility and quality healthcare. The facility therefore had to address the issue of ineffective documentation policy that must have given the suspended nurse legal loophole to successfully sue it. Ruling of the case ought to have been in favor of the suspended nurse since her actions and the subsequent testimony exposed the long standing negligence of the institution as far as ethical and legal healthcare practices are concerned (Rosdahl & Kowalski,2008).

The most important principle of safety to the patients in this case is to minimize error by following due instruction in terms of administering the right doze of the recommended prescription. The delay of documentation that the nurses testified to have been committing presents an open case of negligence since this is a matter of law and ethics which they must have been trained on. By the standard of their qualification, the patients are under their care in the spirit of trust and failure to take up their duties appropriately like documentation makes them liable to tort of negligence (Sloan, 1993).

The confession about delay of the nurses’ documentation of such crucial information put the life of the patients at risk besides giving the institution wrong information that would be costly in terms of medication stocking and medical billing on patients. This therefore amounted to services below standard of care. The action of the nurses from this case presents poor ethical standards on the part of the nurses. It is imperative that the nurses know that communicating an existing problem that pose a threat to the facility and the health of the patients is primary to the welfare of the society (Rosdahl & Kowalski, 2008).

The institution management should also underscore the significance of free and healthy interaction with its staff so that it would be easy for them to note any anomaly in their behavior. The interest of the patient should come first since the cardinal role of the nurses is to save life and this would suffice the definition of positive ethical code