NUR1201 The Patient Experience And Partnering In Care Assessment Item 2 Answer

Answer :

Reflection 

Introduction

Health care professionals should comply with different values and beliefs such as rights, human relationship, commitment, sympathy, autonomy indecision making, respect, justice and privacy(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Waiting time for emergency department care, 2018). The particular reflective essay has adopted a case scenario to identify different positive and negative indicators so that those can be improved in providing better patient care facilities. The essay is developed with the application of the Gibbs 6 stage reflection framework, adapted version by Burns and Bulman, 2000. The key theories that have been applied in the essay are nursing philosophy, standards of care and code of nursing care. The essay describes the patient’s experience followed personal feelings and thoughts and values and beliefs that are related with the patient’s feelings. Adequate and inadequate indicators are highlighted in the analysis section, that again supported in drawing conclusion and developing an action plan to address those identified inadequate health care in the care provision service that are depicted in the case.

1. Description:

Patient’s experience about public hospital has been very disappointing because of which when he was suggested to visit hospital he had declined. Instead he had decided to wait till next morning and see his GP who had advised him to do an x-ray. The patient had shared his previous bad experience of suffering 11 hours in waiting room of the hospital before getting relief from intense pain because of kidney stone. Another bitter experience he had shared about his surgeon’sdescription of his shoulder injury was inhumane. The surgeon analysed to the patient that he had a tear in his muscle that is 30 cmand that could be ‘repaired and sewed’ and the use of words had made patient disappointed and shocked. He further did not offer the patient a choice and he sent him to the ‘best’ physio according to the surgeon and thus choice and empowerment have not been complied with.

The patient further had added that physio was very good who had provided detailed information about using aids such as sticks and performing exercise. He informed about his dizzy feeling to his GP and he ordered for a blood examination that identified his anaemia and this health issue has resulted to another severe fall. Since colonoscopy and endoscopy did not help in finding the cause of his anaemia, the health care providers have used advanced technology to identify the reason. Patient’s experience included falls prevention when he reported that he is feeling short of breath and dizzy. Patient also has added information about his physio’sdetail information about care and exercises that he had been following. 

Two key themes for care focus are choice and empowerment and information(Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2010). These themes of care focus are essential in providing effective and patient centred care. Choice and empowerment allows patient to select the right decision as per theirhealth needs that has positive impact on theirhealth condition where they are efficient of making their decision by themselves(Bach & Grant, 2015). Adequate information helps the patient understand their health conditions, treatment and care facilities available and adopt right preventative measures and treatment procedures as per the given information(Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2015). 

2.Feelings and Thoughts:

In regards to the feelings and thought that the patient had experienced when he was described by the surgeon as old rag can be repaired and sewed as new pair of jeans was truly unacceptable and shocking especially when we hear such words about our body. Additionally, the surgeon had sent him to the physio as per his choice and no freedom was given to the patient in choosing a physio as per his decision. My feelings and values to providing respect and empathise with the patient connect with him and thus he should have respect from the surgeon as I believe every individual should be cared with adequate respect, sympathy and dignity. Additionally I feel that the surgeon’s referencing the patient to the physio was not right as patient’s right of making his own decision by supporting their autonomy has been violated. 

3. Values and Beliefs:

Some of my values and beliefs are respect, dignity, autonomy in decision making, justice, privacy, sympathy and human relationship suggested by Burkhardt & Nathaniel, (2013). These beliefs and values have affected my feelings and thoughts. These values and beliefs originated from my family, my background, relationship with my relatives and friends and my educational background. I believe the mentioned values and beliefs that I have developed over time are significant for me as a person, as a nursing professional, to the care users and their family members. I believe every individual has their right to be respected, their autonomy should be valued, treat care users and their family members with sympathy and be included in the therapeutic plan so that the care is patient centred(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2010). Patient’s information should be protected and must not be exposed without their consent(Code of conduct for nurses, 2018). 

4.Analysis

Instance of adequate care has also been drawn in the given case where physio was found to be very good who had taught the patient about using aids and about conducting resistance exercises. Additionally upon informing the GP about his dizziness when standing, the GP had suggested for blood test that showed that he was anaemic. Here the GP had valued and respected patient’s health issues and suggested for blood examination that shows respect towards patient’s thoughts and feelings and engaging him in the care planning. Patient also was found to be satisfied with GP’s and physio’s treatment procedure that also supports adequate care process. The patient had swallowed pill cam to identify the cause of his anaemia as both colonoscopy and endoscopy failed to do so. Health care sector is using advanced technology for identifying health issues in patients. The patient was very satisfied with the use of advanced technology in the health care system in identifying issues. 

Inadequate care that is demonstrated in the case, is not valuing the autonomy of decision making of patient. The surgeon referred the patient to the physio who he believed was the best in the town without asking patient’s opinion or giving him any choice. Additionally, ill experience that the patient has come across in public hospital is again an instance of inadequate care. While the patient was suffering from excessive pain due to his kidney stone he was made to wait for long 11 hours before getting relief. Studies demonstrated that Australia has good health care but it needs to be improved further. Half of all patients wait more than a month across the nation for elective procedure such as hip replacement(International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), 2017). Patient was suffering from pain for 11 hours in the waiting room of the public hospital that has affected on his attitude towards hospitals. His intense pain has made him suffer where other patients were prioritized for emergency. Elective is referred here as patients can do without this procedure that is they may have been experiencing pain or suffering while moving during their waiting time. Elective means that the treatment cannot be performed immediately but can be scheduled(International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), 2017). To obtain dental services, about 25% of Australians wait for more than a year. Additionally in emergency departments of hospitals, patients with mental health illness wait for more than 8 hours (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Waiting time for emergency department care, 2018). 

5. Conclusions Drawn:

One of the most important positive indicators that have been identified from the particular case are effective communication, information sharing a respecting feelings of the patient(Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015)by the physio and GP. Additionally use of advanced technology in health care settings for identifying health issues is another positive indicator. These two positive indicators can drive future development in patient and family care by as communication and providing information with the care users have very significant role in health are settings. Additionally engaging care users in the care planning also has very important role in providing patient centred care as by engaging or valuing the patients, health care professionals are able to identify the healthissues and health needs of the patients and thus can design care planning accordingly. 

One negative indicator that has been identified from the particular case are not involving patient in decision making and thus not complying with their rights and autonomy(The Code: Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2015). Long waiting hours and ignorance of patient’s pain is another negative indicator that has ill impact on patient’s attitude towards health care settings. These two negative indicators can be addressed to have better patient care facilities. 

6.Action Plan:

The action plan will help developing effective and patient centred care by promoting autonomy of patients and respect to their thoughts and opinions in the care planning. The care providing professionals will ask about different health issues, and seek their suggestions providing them with options so that the patients are allowed to get engaged in the care provision facilities. Involving patients and seeking their opinion will help the care professionals identifying their health needs and health issues that they have been facing. Developing care panning based on the health needs of patients are effective in preventing future health issues as well as providing right therapy. Further, family members also need to be engaged in the care planning so that they can also provide different health related information about the patient and thus help in care planning according. Long waiting hours needs to be minimised basedon patient’s severity of pain so that they grow trust on the health care professionals as well as system. This trust will help patients visit to public health care in future when they are in need. 

Conclusion

The reflective essay focuses on different values and beliefs such as rights, human relationship, commitment, sympathy, autonomy indecision making, respect, justice and privacy that are significant in providing holisticand patient centred care facilities. It has been identified in the particular essay that the patient’s autonomy indecision making, engaging him in care planning and sympathy towards the care user have been breached by the health care professionals. Additionally, long waiting hours also has been found to have deep negative impact on patient’s attitude health care settings that prevents him to visit hospital in need. However an action plan has been designed that can help in improved care facilities and provide a patient centred care. Two positive indicators that are identified in the particular reflective essay are application of advanced technology in the treatment provision and effective communication and information sharing from the physio that made the patient very satisfied. Key learning from the assignment is patient’s or/and family member’s engagement is care provision facilities have very important role in providing holistic and patient centred care that will facilitate in better health outcomes as well as avoiding ill health consequences.