Nursing Concerns: Principles of Care, General Care Plan, Equality and Diversity Legislation, and Mental Capacity Act

Running Head: NURSING CONCERNS 1
Nursing Concerns
Name
Institution
Date

Nursing Concerns 2
Nursing Concerns
Critical General Principles of Care
Healthcare practitioners ought to follow effective clinical practices in taking care of
patients and families under their clinical care. They are supposed to abide by the principles that
accord patients and their families the most optimal healthcare outcomes. In general healthcare
practice, there are many principles that healthcare practitioners can exploit to advance the best
kind of care to patients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) [2018], there are
seven general principles of care that healthcare practitioners can employ to advance optimal
patient-centered care services to their patients. Two principles that are very critical to this end,
are effective involvement of patients and their families and/or their carers in their patients’ own
care as well as advancement of care services on the premise human rights viewpoint.
Active involvement of patients and their families in their own care is critical at advancing
patients holistic care that is not only grounded in scientific research but also that is premised on
the patients’ and families’ own intuitions of what ought to be the most ideal patient care
(Ferrante, Balasubramanian, Hudson, & Crabtree, 2010). Involvement of patients in their own
care, therefore, espouses the general tenets informing patient-centered approaches of patient care.
Patients and their families become partakers in care as opposed to being just receivers of care
like is the case in a traditional patient-provider relationship (American Academy of Family
Physicians, 2008). Patient-centered principles of care call upon healthcare practitioners to be
active listeners and communicators besides conducting their healthcare practice on an empathetic
note as well as being sensitive to the specific patient characteristics such age, cultural orientation,
gender and language differences. This principle is critical in improving standards of care since
patients are given an opportunity to contribute to their own care. Empirical research has

Nursing Concerns 3
indicated that people are their own best carers and therefore incorporating them in care can go a
long way in improving standards of care. Moreover, healthcare practitioners are also in a position
to extend their patients holistic, quality and compassionate patient care.
In addition to patient-centered principle to patient care, general healthcare and social care
practice is supposed to be informed by human rights principles in which case healthcare
practitioners are called upon to respect, uphold and protect the human rights of patients under
their care. Healthcare practitioners ought to advance care in ways that not only respect the
dignity of their patients but also that respects the patient’s independence in making informed
decisions about their care (Faden, Beauchamp, & Kass, 2014). With respect to dignity,
healthcare practitioners are supposed to accord respect to patients’ beliefs, cultural orientation
and should in all instances desist from discriminating against patients on the bases of their sex,
races, religion, and sociocultural background among other discriminating factors. With regard to
patients’ independence, healthcare practitioners are supposed to make sure patients understand
suggested treatment procedures and their effects as well as respecting their confidentiality. This
principle, therefore, advances a legal perspective into the healthcare profession by alerting
healthcare practitioners that they may be held liable for negligence in case of professional
misconduct.
General Care Plan
On Monday last week, I was scheduled to provide holistic health and psychosocial care to
Mr. Hughes who is 65 years of age and lives with his grandson Mike at his home. Mr. Hughes
was expectant of me that morning and therefore he was awake, bathed and dressed with the help
of his grandson when I arrived. Mr. Hughes is dementia-stricken. I warmly greeted him, briefly
assessed his health situation and assisted him with his medication and breakfast. His grandson