Question

What is the connection between fulfilling legal responsibilities and providing a safe work environment for patients and employees? What is the purpose of A Patient’s Bill of Rights and Patient Care Partnership and who is the sponsor of each?

Answer 1

Nurses have to abide by laws and regulations when practicing nursing. Not abiding by the code of ethics could cost the nurse his or her nursing license and result in a malpractice suit.  If a nurse does not monitor and provide care to the patient, this can be considered patient neglect, which is unethical and illegal.

Providing a safe work environment is one of the seven principles concerning workplace expectations and environments that ANA believe every nurse has a fundamental right which is specified in.Nurses’ Bill Of Rights, document . A  safe and healthy workplace not only protects workers from injury and illness, it can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. In other words, safety is good for business.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that an employer provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that could cause harm or death to employees. Some states have additional requirements that exceed federal mandates and address specific issues in each individual state.

The World Health Organization defines patient safety as the absence of preventable harm to patients and prevention of unnecessary harm by healthcare professionals.The nurses' role is to preserve patient safety and prevent harm during the provision of care in both short-term and long-term care settings.

For proecting patient safety following points to be kept

• Establish a Safety and Health Management System
• Build a Rapid Response System
• Make Sure That Employees Know and Understand Safety Policies
• Practice Patient-Centered Care
• Communicate Safety Information to Patient
• Incorporate Safe Hospital Design

The Patient's Bill of Rights was first adopted by the American Hospital Association in 1973 and revised in October 1992. Patient rights were developed with the expectation that hospitals and health care institutions would support these rights in the interest of delivering effective patient care. In 2003, in an effort to promote the idea that healthcare is a partnership between patient and provider, the AHA replaced its original Patient's Bill of Rights with The Patient Care Partnership. The health care provider is responsible for ensuring this.

A patient's bill of rights is a list of guarantees for those receiving medical care. It may take the form of a law or a non-binding declaration. Typically a patient's bill of rights guarantees patients information, fair treatment, and autonomy over medical decisions, among other rights.

A Patient’s Bill of Rights is a document that provides patients with information on how they can reasonably expect to be treated during the course of their hospital stay. These documents are, in almost all cases, not legally-binding. They simply provide goals and expectations for patient treatment. The Patient’s Bills of Rights was recently renamed the Patient Care Partnership.

By considering rights of the patient, each patient is recognized as an individual with unique health care needs and, because of the importance of respecting each patient's person dignity, also provide considerate, respectful care focused on the patient's individual needs.

Most bill of rights include following components

• High-quality hospital care
• A clean and safe treatment environment
• Involvement in care
• Protection of patients’ privacy
• Help with patients’ billing and insurance claims
• Preparing for the end of patients’ hospital visits
• preparing patient and family for leaving hospital

Purposes

• It disclose and discuss patient’s condition and provide information about relevant medical decisions
• patient becomes aware of  treatment plan
• Providers will work to obtain information from patients about their condition and personal state
• Providers will work to understand the patient’s health care goals and personal values
• Providers will understand who is to make decisions for the patient if she/he is unable to
• Patients can get access to their medical records if they want