Essay NURS2011 – Quality & Safety in Health Care – Huang Case Study – Nursing Assignment Help

Assignment Task

Task: Write an essay that draws upon Steps 1 – 3 of the decision-making framework (McDonald & Then, 2019) to explore and analyse the legal and ethical implications of the case study outlined below. You will be writing from the perspective of an observer.

Case Study:
Apply the decision-making framework (McDonald & Then 2019) to this case study (Steps 1-3 only).
Huang is a registered nurse and has recently commenced employment in a regional South Australian town in a large nursing home. During his shifts he is the only registered nurse in charge of 68 residents, 35 of whom have high care needs.
The majority of high care residents have been diagnosed with dementia or related disorders. Most of his shift involves completing medication rounds through various wards and documenting records.
The nursing home is constantly plagued with understaffing issues. Huang has little time to attend to the individual needs of residents. Assistants in Nursing provide most of the care to the residents in both the low care and high care wards.
During his first week at the nursing home Huang has witnessed the following incidents in the 12-bed high care dementia ward:
• At any given time up to eight ‘mobile’ residents in the ward are restrained in chairs (the other four are restricted to bed) for lengthy periods of time. Two of the more alert residents display signs of psychological distress as a result of the restraint. One of the patients continually asks to have the restraint removed. Huang has been told the restraints are necessary to prevent falls as there is not enough staff to watch the residents and ensure their safety.
• One aggressive and noisy resident is restrained at all times and is often moved to a secured room for long periods of time, particularly during peak visiting hours. Huang has been told that visitors have complained about the resident’s constant screaming and that his noise also upsets other residents in the ward and therefore the seclusion of this patient is necessary for the comfort of others.

Reference
Case is adapted from McDonald, F. & Then, S.-N. (2019). Ethics, Law & Health Care: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives (2nd ed.). Macmillan International; Red Globe Press