Assignment:Responses to Peers

All responses to peers must include a minimum of one (1) professional source AND at least one peer response must include a scholarly journal article paraphrased cited, and referenced. (Sources can include scholarly articles from nursing or other relevant disciplines, ANA Essential texts, professional web sites, or the course text. The use of web sites such as Wikipedia or a non-discipline supportive website are not allowed).
Initial question:
Explain the term standard of care from a legal and a nursing perspective.
Include support for your explanation by using references from your ANA Essentials of Nursing Package (Scope and Standards of Practice, Guide to Nursings Social Policy Statement, and the Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses).
My First Post:

Assignment:Responses to Peers
In the process of offering services to the patients, nurses should follow guidelines to ensure good results. The standards are the basis for affordable and quality care. The standard of care’ concept has both medical and legal definition.
In nursing, the term standard of care can be said to be diagnostic as well as treatment process that health practitioner ought to adhere while serving a particular client, clinical circumstance or sickness. Also, the standard of care in nursing refers to the degree of skill and care of average clinician who practices medicine including medical expertise in practice (American Nurses Association, 2010). They are the general guidelines that offer a groundwork as to how clinician particularly nurses should act and what they should do or not do in their nursing profession. The standard of care in the nursing practice applies equally to all the clinicians. They are the guiding force at any level of the clinical judgment. It is deviating from the nursing standard of care that leads to legal implications.
In legal terms, the standard of care is a broad statement. It is a degree at which the provider in a particular population would practice. In simpler term, it is how a qualified healthcare practitioner would have managed situation under same conditions in case of negligence. In the event of neglect or failure to offer the essential care to the patient, nurses are liable for the malpractice under the legality of the standard of care guidelines. Misconduct and negligence show how the standard of care has breached and the lawsuit can be filed in the court (American Nurses Association, 2010).
Reference
American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Nursesbooks. Org.
Peer Post:
Standards of care for nurses and the medical field in general are very important. They help to guide our practice and define our roles and responsibilities within our profession. We practice only what we are competent in. They are the foundation on how we should and shouldn’t act within our scope of practice. According to Davis (2014,p.4) the main purpose of professional standards is direct and maintain safe and clinically competent nursing practice. Our state boards are an example of minimum standards of competent care. according to Guido (2014,p.54) legal duty of care or standards of care means a nurse must have and use the knowledge and skill ordinarily possessed and used by nurses actively practicing in the nurse’s speciality area. If we practice out of scope and cause harm we can be found legally liable, which could be financially devastating as well as possibly ending our careers. For example, I am unable to push certain conscious sedation drugs, an anesthesiologist or doctor must, even if asked by them to do so. I would be practicing beyond my scope. Provision 2 of the Guide to code of ethics discusses the nurse-patient relationship. Not all values are shared; different people may choose or act in ways that would not be choices or actions of the nurse (Fowler,2015). We must always make sure when caring for the patient we only practice what we are able to do. We may not initiate procedures or mediations that are not prescribed by the doctor, and in certain situations we will act as any other nurse would do in that same situation. We must also make sure that any procedures or care has the consent of the patient. We can not complete anything without the patient’s consent, or force or coerce a patient.
REFERENCES:
Davis, C.(2014). The importance of professional standards, Nursing made Incredibly Easy,12(5). 4.
doi:10.1097/01.NME.0000452691.04516.96
Fowler,D.M.(2015). Guide to code of ethics for nurses.(2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Nursebooks.org
Guido,G.W.(2014). Legal and ethical issues in nursing.(6th ed.). Upper Saddle RIver, NJ: Pearson Education

 

24/7 Nursing Homework Help

Stuck on a nursing assignment question? From easy essays to complicated dissertations, our accredited writers can answer all questions!