Question

Give an example of a time when the physical health situation of a client was beyond the scope of your own role. Why was it beyond the scope of your own role? How did you deal with it? Who did you report to? Why did you report to them?

Answer 1

CASE EXAMPLE -
I once had a patient named Josh. He was a 13 yr old male, living with his parents. He was a refered case of childhood obesity.
• Initially , I thought his symptoms were a result of his weight disorders
• on further probing, I concluded that he was suffering from depression.He had a history of anger issues, picking fights at school for no reason, frequent mood swings and various other symptoms of depression.

WHY WAS IT BEYOND MY ROLE -
• As a nurse all I could do was to diagnose the case based on my knowledge. Even if my diagnosis was correct, neither I could provide medications nor I have the expertise to counsel such patients. It is strictly the domain of a psychiatrist.
• HOSPITAL STAFFING is an issue that we face at our hospital. There are no psychiatrists at our facility. This makes it difficult to treat such cases.

HOW DID I DEAL WITH IT -
• since we do not have an expert, I tried my best to counsel both the parents and the child.
• Then , I referred them to a general physician , in case he may help them.
• I DID REPORT THIS ISSUE - Hospital staffing is the responsibility of management. I raised this issue in front of senior manager , so that an expert can be hired and we can deliver quality care.