Question

Question:

Session Six Case Study Sunita is the only RPN on the night shift at a small home for the aged. She is working with Martin, a health care aide. Sunita has worked with Martin on many occasions. She respects his judgment and his caring approach to the patients. One night, Sunita asks Martin to clean Mrs. Wakulat, an 80-year-old patient with Alzheimer's, who had just been incontinent. After helping Mrs. Wakulat, Martin leaves the room to dispose of the soiled linen. Unfortunately, Martin forgets to put up the bed rail, and, during his absence, Mrs. Wakulat slips out of bed and onto the floor. Martin and Sunita check Mrs. Wakulat, who does not appear to have sustained any injury, and return her to bed. Martin is very concerned about the incident and pleads with Sunita not to report it to their manager, Mrs. Han. Mrs. Han recently chastised him over a similar incident, which he did not believe was his fault, in which a patient fell after climbing over the bed rails. Furthermore, Mrs. Wakulat's daughter worries a great deal about her mother's care. Martin is afraid he will be in serious trouble if the incident is reported. Sunita is unsure what to do. She knows how punitive Mrs. Han can be. She does not want to get Martin into trouble or worry Mrs. Wakulat's daughter unnecessarily.

1. a. Has Sunita violated any ethical, legal, or professional standards?

   b. Does Sunita face the risk of civil or criminal liability?

   c. What do you think Sunita should do? Why?

Answer 1

a. Yes sunitha has violated the ethical and legal principles wereby the safety and security of the patient is not done. The injury must be informed to the patients relatives and an critical incident report has to be written against Martin.

B. Yes sunitha will face the criminal viability as she is closing the patients injury to the patient party and saving a person who neglected the patient

C. Sunitha must have informed the patients daughter about the incidence and made a incident report so that she could have maintained her ethical principles of maintaining safety and security of patients.

The critical incident report would change Martin behaviour to be alert and maintain the milieu environment to the patient