Question

a) You have been delegated to assist with the administration of medication in your service. In one paragraph, describe your duty of care to your clients.
b) What legislation covers the duty of care procedures?

Answer 1

a) Duty of care in assisting the medication administration:

Once a health worker is delegated to assist Medication administration, it is his/ her responsibility to administer medicine as per physician's order or prescription and within his/ her organisation's guidance and protocol. (I ) or health worker must take responsibility for ensuring that her actions are carried out based on ethical principles, safely, correctly and carefully . Duty of care is a legal obligation that ensures that health professionals has " to always in the best interest of individuals and others " .  She has to ensure the five rights of drug administration; Right patient, Right drug, Right dose, Right route and Right time. She has to do good for the patient and in no circumstances she can harm the patient or her actions or omissions should not harm the patient.  

2. Legislation on Duty of care procedures :

Health care worker has legal and ethical responsibility to keep the client safe from harm while they are delivering the duties. This legal obligation of healthcare workers is called Duty of care. Duty of care is based on principle that health professionals have an obligation to avoid act or omissions, that might cause physical or emotional harm to the client. In US , Tort law covers the Duty of care aspect . It has three categories; intentional tort, strict liability torts, negligence . Tort law is the area of law pertaining actions that unfairly cause personal loss or harm that result in liability for the person who commits the action.