Respect in Nursing Care: Quality Nursing Care Summative Assessment

Quality Nursing Care Summative Assessment

1) A professional relationship in nursing is one where the patient feels supported and well looked after by a member of staff who knows what boundaries are and respects those boundaries, is empathetic, and also takes wholly into regard the well-being of the said patient. (Kornhaber et al, 2016). Benbow and Jordan (2009) state that a nurse’s ability to communicate is most definitely of importance when establishing professional relationships within the workplace and also whilst delivering a high standard of nursing care. Communication is essential within nursing as it builds the foundation of a patient’s time within the hospital, for if a patient does not feel comfortable enough to talk to nursing staff about what is going on, then it would be impossible to treat them.

Mirhaghi et al (2017) points out that relationships are an essential element of care as this is what helps nurses get through to their patients. In their clinical placement, the student nurse will need to be able to maintain strictly professional relationships with patients. To develop therapeutic professional relationships the student nurse must be able to actively engage with patients but whilst upholding a level of professionalism that does not disregard the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of conduct (2015). The student nurse must be able to communicate effectively by doing things such as active listening by putting into action things they have learned not only in class but whilst in practise too. Not only with other members of staff but also with the patient and also their families, for example being able to get to know the patient and things such as their likes and dislikes so the patient knows they are not just another passing body in the ward.

2) A video was observed (Playlistforlife.org.uk, 2019) where Harry was finding it very hard to be social and to communicate with people such as his wife because he had dementia. Playlist for life came was there to potentially help him regain some form of social interaction with those around him and made a playlist with music from his era that would bring back memories from when he listened to those songs. This is an active example of person-centred care. When listening to the songs he became more interactive with the staff and his wife which gave her a newfound sense of joy which is an example of effective family centred care as not only was the patient given a better quality of care, but his family members also benefitted from the care provided. This happened because people made an effort to provide him with a better quality of life. Harry was singing and talking again, therefore, showing the excitement of his wife.

Student nurses who have learned about person-centred care know all too well that improving someone’s quality of life is to put the patient and their families at the centre of everything going on around them which does not only apply to medical treatment. The student nurse will deliver both people-centred and family centred care by taking the time to get to know the patient and their families as individuals but by still respecting professional boundaries by doing things such as finding out their interests, likes and dislikes and other things that will help them feel more comfortable talking about rather than hospital topics solely. The student nurse should be willing to do whatever it takes within their limits to make patients and their families feel more at ease as long it is not the endangering the life of the patient but helping improve their quality of life.

3c) Respect is an important value in nursing (NMC 2018), the same way it should be in any other profession. This is important in nursing as all parties that walk through those doors must be treated with the utmost respect and no one should be discriminated against no matter your personal views or beliefs. Maben et Al (2012) shows us that within a hospital setting it is a good idea to build relationships with patients but not to the extent where you favour those over others, therefore showing us that there has to be a mutual level of respect between patients and staff even when some patients are disrespectful towards staff so that no one feels as though they are not being treated equally to the same level of care as others. It was evidenced that some patients felt like they were objects rather than people (Maben et al, 2012). This will help in clinical practice as it highlights that all patients should receive the same level of care. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) states that nurses must “respect the level to which people receiving care want to be involved in decisions about their own health, wellbeing and care” which shows us that respect is a fundamental value which must be upheld within all areas of the workplace but more specifically when it comes to how a patient wants to be treated and also in regards to the wishes of their family members too which correlates with family centred care. This value will shine through in the student nurse’s attitude as they learn that no matter a person’s background, they deserve to be given the same amount of respect they themselves would like to receive.

4) Continuous profession development (CPD) is a requirement for nurses as Thimblebly (2013) states that healthcare is ever-changing in different aspects from actual medicines such as antibiotics to medical technologies such as MRI scans. Reflection enables CPD to help nurses think back on things such as what they did well, and what they can improve. Upon reflection, the nurse may look back at some of the events that occurred and be able to approach other members of staff and ask for advice on how to better themselves or for help on how to do something properly.

5) The Royal College of Nursing (2017) states that people with learning disabilities face difficulties whilst communicating. This includes having trouble processing information for example – whilst accessing health services, receiving information about their medication or receiving medical advice. The student nurse will need to assess the needs of the patient and proceed accordingly in a way that will make them understand what is going on and to help the patient process everything that they are being told no matter how hard it can get. The student nurse will need to find a way to communicate effectively with the patient, whether that be by talking to them slowly and having patience but still keeping the conversation dignified and not stigmatised, or if needed a non-verbal manner which could possibly include – pictures, gestures, symbols or objects to symbolise what is being explained, as Murphy (2006) states that ineffective communication can often lead to misdiagnosis.

Those with learning disabilities are often subject to discrimination due to them having limited intellectual capabilities than others, and a lot of the time are not cared for properly as people struggle to effectively communicate with them to understand their needs. The Equality Act 2010 (Legislation.gov.uk, 2020) states that disability is a protected characteristic therefore legally protecting those with disabilities against any form of discrimination. All individuals should strive towards making the world a fairer and more equal place not only in hospitals but also in the wider society.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Code talks about respect as a whole and extending to all people including those with learning disabilities. Just because it may be difficult to get through to patients with learning disabilities nurses should still respect those patients enough to try as much as possible to help them reach a point of understanding within their health care. The student nurse should be patient and willing to take the time necessary to reach a breakthrough point with the patient, so they are aware of what they are being told and what is happening to them. The student nurse should be understanding that everyone is different and has different types of needs, therefore, prompting CPD to help them better themselves on understanding people, in which will also give them a better insight on delivering better standards of care because they have been building their skills of communication with people of different intellectual capabilities.

References:

1. Benbow, W., AND Jordan, G 2009 A Handbook for Student Nurses: Introducing Key Issues Relevant for Practice
2. Kornhaber, R., Walsh, K., DUFF, J. and WALKER, K. 2016. Enhancing adult therapeutic interpersonal relationships in the acute health care setting: an integrative review.
3. Legislation.gov.uk. 2020. Equality Act 2010. [online] Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents [Accessed 8 Jan. 2020].
4. MABEN J., ADAMS M., PECCEI R., MURRELLS T. & ROBERT G. 2012 ‘Poppets and parcels’: the links between staff experience of work and acutely ill older peoples’ experience of hospital care. International Journal of Older People Nursing 7, 83–94
5. Mirhaghi, A., Sharafi, S., Bazzi, A. and Hasanzadeh, F. 2017 “Therapeutic relationship: Is it still heart of nursing?”, Nursing Reports, 7(1) pp. 4-9
6. MURPHY, J. 2006. Perceptions of communication between people with communication disability and general practice staff. Health Expectations, 9(1), pp.49–59.
7. Nmc.org.uk. 2018. [online] Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/nmc-code.pdf [Accessed 27 Dec. 2019].
8. Playlistforlife.org.uk. 2019. Harry & Margaret’s story – Playlist for life. [online] Available from: https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/harry-margarets-story/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2019].
9. The Royal College of Nursing. 2017. The Needs of People with Learning Disabilities | Royal College of Nursing. [online] Available from: https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/publications/pub-005769 [Accessed 17 Dec. 2019].
10. THIMBLEBLY, H. 2013. Technology and the future of healthcare. Journal of Public Health Research, [online] 2(3), p.28. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4147743/. [Accessed 2 May. 2020].