Emilio Aguinaldo College

City of Dasmarinas, Cavite 4114

BSN 1-6
.

April 30, 2023

Health Assessment Lecture

Direction: Write an essay about an ethico-legal case in nursing.

PATIENT’S RIGHT TO EXPRESS GRIEVANCES

Each patient has the right to voice legitimate complaints and grievances regarding
the treatment and services received and the outcome of those complaints. Calls for
greater patient satisfaction data openness have increased along with the emphasis on
patient-centered care. Because of these developments in healthcare, programs for risk
management and patient safety are becoming more and more dependent on gathering
and acting upon patient feedback. When a patient is dissatisfied with the care they
received, they have the right to submit a complaint or grievance with the organization,
and healthcare institutions should have procedures in place for promptly resolving both.
Additionally, recording and trending patient complaints and grievances may highlight
issues with individual or system performance and point out potential areas for quality
improvement. For instance, patient complaints are linked to clinical consequences as
well as a higher chance of malpractice lawsuits.

In order to meet federal requirements and accrediting standards, safeguard

patients, and lower liability, healthcare companies must create procedures for handling
patient complaints and grievances. While grievances are more serious and normally call
for an inquiry into claims regarding the caliber of patient care, complaints are relatively
minor and can usually be handled by the staff on duty at the time the concern is raised.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have produced interpretive guidelines
on this subject and include rules for handling grievances in their Conditions of
Participation. These guidelines are excellent advice for resolving complaints and
grievances from all patients—regardless of payment source—even though they are
applicable to patients receiving financing from Medicare and Medicaid.

We learn how to interact with patients in a polite and moral manner as nurses. We
are aware of how to find out more about them in order to satisfy their wants. It's crucial
to respect a patient's right to air complaints as part of that process. I am aware of how
important it is for us nurses to pay attention to the patient's complaints because doing
so will enable us to care for them better.

Reference:

https://www.ecri.org/components/HRC/Pages/PtSup1.aspx?PF=1&source=print
 Emilio Aguinaldo College
City of Dasmarinas, Cavite 4114

BSN 1-6
.

The clinical case and Ethical Dilemma:

The medical instance Multiple seizures caused a newborn baby who was 12 days old to
be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He was the family's firstborn
child. There was no history of seizures or any other illnesses in the mother's family.
Medication was used to treat seizures, and diagnostic tests, including
electroencephalography (EEG), were requested. It was intended to move the baby to
the level II NICU because he was stable and had tolerated breastfeeding, but it was
delayed because there weren't enough beds.

His nurse found the baby on the floor and the incubator door open on the third day's
evening shift after hearing a loud noise. Because they were worried the hospital would
stop accepting new babies, the parents of the newborn didn't complain about the lack of
beds or the service they had received, opting instead to say everything was fine.
Additionally, the incident was reported to the department's chief physician, and a record
of it was immediately forwarded to the administrators of the hospital. Later, to ensure
that they were safe enough, all other incubators were inspected.

The mother had claimed that she was resting at the time of the incident, but when the
staff notified the father of the baby about the fall, he accused the mother of neglecting
the kid.

Case Discussion:

The case demonstrates how important it is for healthcare facilities to let patients know
that they have the right to file a complaint if they believe that healthcare professionals
are treating them unfairly, regardless of their state of health, because failing to do so
could have disastrous consequences. Healthcare practitioners should always explain to
individual patients their distinct rights to prevent such difficulties and accidents because
some patients don't know they have this kind of right.
 Emilio Aguinaldo College
City of Dasmarinas, Cavite 4114

BSN 1-6
.

REFLECTION

The primary goal of nurses is to provide care and assistance to various patients.
Although we want the best for our patients, we must acknowledge that there are times
when we fall short of providing them with the necessary level of assistance, as well as
when we are unable to devote the necessary amount of time and effort. Additionally,
there are times when patients express dissatisfaction with our services, and we must
recognize that this is perfectly acceptable because it is their right to file a complaint if
they feel mistreated. Nurses have always had to make sure that they treat their patients
with professionalism. This can only be accomplished if they are able to both hear and
respond to the complaints of their patients. Therefore, it is crucial that nurses
comprehend that it is their responsibility to speak with their patients whenever they feel
something is wrong with them or with the care they are receiving. This ethical issue is
still present today because some healthcare institutions failed to inform their patients of
their many rights, while others also did not allow people to express their concerns or
take action to remedy a specific issue.

The harsh reality of the modern world is represented through complaints about
medical practice. When a patient is hurt during a medical procedure, they have the right
to explanations and compensation, but the higher risk of exposure to complaints
determines personal and professional repercussions for the doctors, with a substantial
influence on their practice and health. As a professional, it is crucial to always listen to
what your patients need and desire because, in that way, you will be able to offer them
the care and assistance they need. Legal action may be taken against a healthcare
provider if they do not listen to or address a specific complaint from a patient. " Janet is
a 48-year-old female who was admitted to the oncology department with a new
diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer. She came in for treatment but exhibited
uncooperative behavior toward her therapy, complaining that the treatment was too
painful. She reported that it "hurt like hell." This particular complaint by a patient can
make a big difference in a hospital, and because of this, the ethical and legal standards
in nursing are more stringent in response to such complaints.

It's possible that a patient's healthcare practitioner is the only person to learn about
all of their concerns; nevertheless, it's impossible to know how many other issues a
patient may be dealing with. It is crucial that healthcare providers allow their patients to
voice complaints for this reason. Patients' voices are important in the healthcare system,
but they are not always heard by staff, which can result in poor communication,
misunderstandings, and mistrust between patients and healthcare staff. Good patient
care depends on nurses and other healthcare providers listening to their patients'
concerns. Overall, it is important to understand as a student nurse and a professional in
 Emilio Aguinaldo College
City of Dasmarinas, Cavite 4114

BSN 1-6
.

the medical field that no matter who our patients are, regardless of their race, culture, or
outward appearance, we must treat them fairly and provide the care they require. Finally,
we must listen to their complaints and deal with them in a respectful and appropriate
manner.