Health Laws
Name of Student
Institution
Health Laws
Health care workers have an important responsibility of being patient’s advocate. The main focus of caregivers should be to give care that is patient-centered and in the best interest of the patient (Tahan, 2005). In some instances, the hospital policy guidelines may be against human rights. For example, a policy that states that a patient must pay a certain amount of money before receiving any care may be a great challenge to the health care worker who has to handle an emergency.
The other factors that influence patient care include ineffective communication among the health care professionals. As a result, caregivers tend to face many challenges in a bid to play their role of patient advocacy (Hellwig, Yam, & Digiulio, 2003). The challenges include lack of cooperation by colleagues, peer loyalty, organizational structures, and culture. The standard of care that the patient receives thus gets compromised.
As caregivers strive to be patient’s advocates, internal conflicts may arise. For example, one caregiver may have administered the wrong medication that has caused an adverse drug reaction. The colleague who notices may choose to keep it a secret so as to maintain peer loyalty. As a result, the patient will have no one to fight for their rights. Another instance is where the policies prohibit a nurse from prescribing medication. In the event where a medical emergency occurs, with only the nurse present, the nurse may hesitate to take immediate action since it is against the institution’s policies.
The management needs to put in place policies that promote autonomy of the health caregivers in order to prevent the conflicts. Health care workers should also be encouraged to observe honesty and effective communication when taking care of the patients.
References
Hellwig, S. D., Yam, M., & Digiulio, M. (2003). Nurse Case Managers’ Perceptions of Advocacy: Phenomenological Inquiry. Lippincott’s Case Management, 8(2), 53-65.
Tahan, H. A. (2005). Essentials of Advocacy in Case Management. Lippincott’s Case Management, 10(3), 136-145.
