Patient Rights

Full Answer Section

• Promotes collaboration and communication. Nurses should be able to collaborate with other members of the healthcare team to develop and implement a comprehensive care plan for each patient. Nurses should also communicate regularly with patients and their families to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the patient's needs are being met.
• Fosters a culture of ethical decision-making. The organization should have a clear set of ethical values and should encourage nurses to make decisions that are consistent with those values. The organization should also provide training on ethical decision-making and should have a process in place for resolving ethical dilemmas.

Patient right that is often not fully implemented

One patient right that is often not fully implemented in the patient care environment is the right to informed consent. Informed consent means that patients have the right to be provided with all of the relevant information about their care before they make any decisions about that care. This includes information about the risks and benefits of different treatment options, as well as the risks and benefits of not having any treatment at all.

Patients often do not receive all of the information they need to make informed decisions about their care. This can be due to a number of factors, including:

• Lack of time. Healthcare professionals often have limited time to spend with patients, and they may not be able to provide them with all of the information they need in detail.
• Complexity of medical information. Medical information can be complex and difficult to understand, especially for patients who do not have a medical background.
• Language barriers. Patients who do not speak the same language as their healthcare professional may have difficulty understanding the information that is provided to them.

Strategies to help ensure that the right to informed consent is supported

There are a number of things that can be done to help ensure that the right to informed consent is supported in the patient care environment. These include:

• Providing patients with written information about their care. This information should be in a language that the patient understands and should be written in a clear and concise manner.
• Giving patients enough time to make decisions about their care. Healthcare professionals should not pressure patients into making decisions before they are ready.
• Addressing any questions or concerns that patients have. Healthcare professionals should be willing to answer any questions that patients have about their care and to address any concerns that they have.
• Involving patients in decision-making. Patients should be given the opportunity to participate in making decisions about their care. This includes giving them the opportunity to choose between different treatment options and to choose whether or not to have any treatment at all.

How the registered nurse can assist in protecting patient rights

Registered nurses play a vital role in protecting patient rights. Registered nurses can assist in protecting patient rights by:

• Educating patients about their rights. Registered nurses can provide patients with information about their rights and can help them to understand those rights.
• Advocating for patients' rights. Registered nurses can advocate for patients' rights by speaking up on behalf of patients when their rights are being violated.
• Reporting violations of patient rights. Registered nurses have a legal and ethical obligation to report any violations of patient rights that they observe.

Registered nurses can also help to protect patient rights by promoting a culture of ethical decision-making in the workplace. Registered nurses can do this by:

• Serving as role models. Registered nurses can serve as role models for other healthcare professionals by demonstrating ethical behavior in their own practice.
• Challenging unethical behavior. Registered nurses have a responsibility to challenge unethical behavior when they see it. This can be done by speaking up to other healthcare professionals or by reporting unethical behavior to the appropriate authorities.

By taking these steps, registered nurses can play a vital role in protecting the rights of patients with chronic illnesses.

Sample Answer

An organizational environment that would facilitate the ethical practice of nurses caring for chronically ill patients would be one that:

• Values patient autonomy and respect. Patients should be given the opportunity to make their own decisions about their care, and their decisions should be respected, even if they are not what the healthcare team would recommend.
• Provides adequate resources and support. Nurses should have the resources and support they need to provide high-quality care to chronically ill patients. This includes having enough time to spend with patients, having access to the necessary equipment and supplies, and having access to other members of the healthcare team.