Page 207 - Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management, 5th Edition

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194 unit 3 | Professional Issues CikguOnline
employees and patients. The IOM and JCAHO work life. Cultural awareness, respect for the diver-
patient safety initiatives will continue to affect the sity of others, and increased contact between
way nurses do business. Workplace issues related to groups should be the goals of the workforce for the
nursing and positive patient outcomes will contin- next century.
ue to be discussed. Many waking hours are spent in the workplace.
A social environment that promotes professional It can offer a climate of companionship, profession-
growth and creativity and a physical environment al growth, and excitement. Everyone is responsible
that offers comfort and maximum work efficiency for promoting a safe, healthy work environment for
should be considered in improving the quality of each other.

Study Questions

1. Why is it important for nurses to understand the major federal laws and agencies responsible to
protect the individual in the workplace?

2. What actions can nurses take if they believe that OSHA guidelines are not being followed in the
workplace?
3. What are nurses’ responsibilities in dealing with the following workplace issues: transmission of
blood-borne pathogens, violence, sexual harassment, and impaired coworkers?
4. What information do you need to obtain from your employer related to terrorism and other disasters?
5. What will you look for in the work environment that will support positive patient outcomes?

6. Discuss experiences you have had in your clinical rotations. Were the environments supportive or
nonsupportive social environments? What recommendations would you make for improvement?
7. Review the ten areas of concern for Nursing’s Agenda for the Future. Identify what contributions you
will make now and in the future to support this agenda.

Case Study to Promote Critical Reasoning
You have been hired as a new RN on a busy pediatric unit in a large metropolitan hospital. The
hospital provides services for a culturally diverse population, including African-American, Asian,
and Hispanic people. Family members often attempt alternative healing practices specific to their
culture and bring special foods from home to entice a sick child to eat. One of the more
experienced nurses said to you, “We need to discourage these people from fooling with all this
hocus pocus. We are trying to get their sick kid well in the time allowed under their managed care
plans, and all this medicine-man stuff is only keeping the kid sick longer. Besides, all this stuff
stinks up the rooms and brings in bugs.” You have observed how important these healing rituals
and foods are to the patients and families and believe that both the families and the children have
benefited from this nontraditional approach to healing.
1. What are your feelings about nontraditional healing methods?
2. How should you respond to the experienced nurse?
3. How can you be a patient advocate without alienating your coworkers?

4. What could you do to assist your coworkers in becoming more culturally sensitive to their patients
and families?
5. How can health-care facilities incorporate both Western and nontraditional medicine? Should they
do this? Why or why not?