Professional Accountability and Patient Safety Case Study 2022

Professional accountability and patient safety
Introduction
Nursing is one of the Nobel profession focuses on quality health care for the global
population. Nursing profession encloses vital roles and responsibilities which would support
the patient recovery. Nurses are expected to be accountable for the actions in the clinical
setting. Patient safety is a high priority concern in nursing practice. The nurses are
answerable for the issues related to patient safety. This assessment discusses the case study
from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Board. The chosen case study for the analysis is the
case of registered nurse Ms Cassidy. The assessment includes the actions and omissions
identified in the case. Additional issues that caused the adverse consequences for the patients
in the case study are analyzed. Discussion of the activities that must have taken by the
Registered Nurse in the act of preventing the adverse consequences for the patients is also
involved.
Activities and omissions of the Registered Nurse
 Non-clinical communication
In this case, study the Registered Nurse involved in Non-clinical communication with the
patients. According to the Nursing and Midwifery standard two of Australia, the nurses are to
involve only in clinical communication (Registered nurses standards of practice 2016). The
Registered Nurse violated the code of conducts. Boundary violation happens when the nurse
confuses the need of the patient with personal needs. Ms Cassidy, she communicated with the
patients about the non-clinical issues. She also sent text messages and used Snap chat for
communication with the patients (Niezen, and Mathijssen, 2014). A Nurses Guide to
professional Boundaries states that the nurse must engage in a therapeutic relationship with
the patient to ensure the quality health care and better patient outcome. But the action of the
Registered Nurse had caused the harmful effect in the situation.

 The personal relationship with patients and relatives
Nurses have to provide therapeutic care for the patient. The rapport connecting nurse and
patient is termed as the therapeutic relationship. The nurses are not supposed to develop a
personal relationship as it is considered as boundary violation as per the code of conducts of
Australia. In the case study, Ms Cassidy took the patients camping with her and then
collaborated for two nighttime. She also bought cannabis from the brother of one of the
patients (Drug laws in Australia 2019). The personal relationship with the patient and their
relatives may result in harmful consequences. This action is considered as the professional
misconduct of the nurses which can contribute to the adverse effect in the situation (Code of
professional conduct for Nurses in Australia 2010).
 Misappropriating medication
In the case study, the registered Nurses had provided the two patients with listed four drugs
inclusive of lorazepam and diazepam as she is not permitted to do so. She also had stolen
certain medications including lorazepam and diazepam tablets from the hospital (Hendarto et
al.2019). The action is considered professional misconduct. The nursing professionals are to
handle the medication in the clinical setting as per the physician prescription for the benefit
of the patient only. But the nurse involved in the mismanagement and misappropriating
medications which can lead to severe complications.
 Omitted professional conduct
The nursing profession comprises of guidelines, standards and code of conducts to ensure
professionalism in the clinical setting. Australian nurses are expected to abide by the related
laws and the standards of Nursing and Midwifery Board of the country. In the case study, Ms
Cassidy neglected and ignored the nursing standards. The purpose of formulating the code of
conducts and nursing standards is to prevent professional misconduct and violation of

professional boundaries (A Nurses guide to professional boundaries 2008). In this case study,
the omission of professional conduct can lead to serious consequences.
Additional issues that caused the adverse consequences
 Lack of supervision
Additional issues that caused the adverse consequences for the patients are considered as the
mismanagement or lack of supervision. Set of Registered nurse are supervised by the nursing
supervisor or manager. Responsibilities of the supervisor are monitoring, mentoring,
counseling, and direction. The case study of Ms Cassidy shows that the registered nurse was
not monitored over the violation of professional boundaries and misappropriating
medications. The nursing supervisor needs to educate and mentor the registered nurse about
the Nursing and Midwifery standards of Australia and code of conducts (2016) to ensure the
quality health care for the patients. The major role of the Nursing Supervisor is to ensure that
the nursing standards and code of conducts are implemented in the clinical setting. The
colleagues of the nurse also neglected and ignored the professional misconduct of the nurse.
Any conduct of the nurse that impacts the patient safety need to be reported. But in this case
study, the colleagues of Ms Cassidy neglected the actions and ignored the consequences
(Registered nurses standards of practice 2016).
 System based errors
The major cause for the mishandling and misappropriating of medication is system-based
errors. In the case study, the registered nurse was posted in the psychiatric unit. The
psychiatric medications need to be handled by the authorized medical professional and not to
be given to patients without a prescription. But Ms Cassidy had supplied medication without
authorization. The nurse has provided four schedule medications to two patients including
lorazepam and diazepam. Misappropriating and mishandling of medication is due to the lack