Bachelor of Nursing: Industry Reflection and NSQHS Standards Analysis

This report presents a critical reflection on the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards, specifically focusing on the author's clinical experiences in a cardio-thoracic ward. The student nurse recounts an incident involving a patient with insulin resistance and a medication error, highlighting the importance of adhering to NSQHS protocols. The reflection covers the student's feelings about the incident, including concerns about the lack of immediate action and a commitment to improving future practice by seeking additional opinions and reviewing medication charts. The report evaluates the situation against the NSQHS standards for responding to serious health conditions and safe medication administration. It analyzes the implications of medication errors and the challenges in patient communication, emphasizing the need for maintaining medication safety standards in conjunction with other NSQHS standards, such as clinical governance. The conclusion underscores the significance of adhering to nursing standards to ensure positive health outcomes and quality patient care, regardless of age or socioeconomic background.

Running head: INDUSTRY REFLECTION NATIONAL SAFETY & QUALITY STANDARDS
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Industry Reflection National Safety & Quality Standards
Student name:
Student ID:
Author’s note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Reflection about the incidents and health standards........................................................................2
Description...................................................................................................................................2
Feelings........................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation....................................................................................................................................3
Analysis.......................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The importance of nursing as per the standards gained immense importance. Understanding and
answering to high level of collapse of health is at par with the NSQHS. The standards highlight
the significance of the ability to locate signs of poor health in order to ensure better health
outcomes. However, it should be taken into consideration warning signs of clinical degradation
often goes unnoticed or not acted upon at the right time; which I experienced in my recent
placement.
Reflection about the incidents and health standards
Description
While being placed in a cardio thoracic ward, I took care for stroke patients. Thus, it
becomes important to closely monitor the patients as poor health can take place any time and be
harmful for the patient’s health. My supervisor allocated me to take care of 3 patients and record
their vital signs for each of them during early hours of my shift. One of the patients had a history
of insulin resistance and demanded immediate care (Ritchie et al. 2018). The patient was
subjected to high level of diabetes. In addition to that fentanyl administration error was observed
as the nurse did not comply with the medication chart and went on to nothing at that moment to
combat insulin resistance. However, I noticed that things did not improve and my colleague was
adamant that we should wait for some time before confirming things. Nevertheless, the situation
was put under control after severe escalation. The things could have been worse if the blood
glucose level was not checked at the right time and informed the supervising nurse.

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Feelings
I was highly concerned about my patient as I did not expect the condition to reach at such
drastic levels as I was working as per the instructions provided by my supervisor. Throughout the
course of my experience I strongly felt that my guide could have exhibited enough concern
rather than waiting to reach at such extreme level. In future, I plan to speak with other nurses for
assessing the situation in order to obtain another opinion; additionally, I feel I should work on
checking the medication charts every time before providing medication to the patients. I noticed
the early signs of health degradation and notified my supervisor. Nevertheless, I regret I had not
spoken to my nurse in-charge once; after understanding the fact that my patient was about to
collapse at any instance. As stated by Flanigan (2016) taking proactive measures can actually
help in informing about health conditions and avoiding risky escalations
Evaluation
Linking the situation to NSQHS protocols of responding and reacting in response to
serious health condition, I understand the hints of health degradation during the initial hours of
my shift and following the rules of informing my supervisor of degrading health condition.
Nevertheless, it can be additionally pointed out that the deteriorating condition was not acted out
properly and thus was not as per the medical standards of NSQHS. One more NSQHS protocol
that is often considered is the standard related to safe administration of medication. The
mentioned protocol makes sure that there exists no error related to drug administration (Pearson
et al. 2016). A study conducted in Australia by Gilbert et al. (2017), showed that roughly 64% of
research participants were seen to have wrong medication errors empathising the events about
incidents related to poor medication practises that is not aligned to the standards of medication.

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Analysis
There have been times during incidents of placement where I was subjected to errors
related to medication. However, only once I witnessed it to happen with some other nurse. As far
as I can recall the nurse misread the chart that carried the medication related details. Due to the
mentioned gap, the nurse administered higher doses of morphine than the actual amount required
causing respiratory problem in the patient. As pointed out by Martin, Jones and Wolfe (2017),
adverse effect of morphine often leads to respiratory depression often leading to events related to
drowsiness. In similar regards, it can be seen the mentioned standard aims to ensure that the
healthcare professionals such as the doctors and even the nurses safely prescribe and even
dispense the medicines and even administer them properly on the patients. In addition to that it
becomes important to make sure that the patients are informed about the medicines and are able
to understand their risks and needs. I feel that obtaining a clear understanding about the needs of
the patients can help the nurses to avoid the risks
However, I feel that we are highly involved with a lot of patients. It is for the same
reason; it becomes difficult for us to explain the patients about the medications being
administered to the patient (Havers et al. 2016). Often I have noticed that patients are asked if
they are allergic to certain medications. I personally find this endeavour futile for the patients
who are highly sick may even not remember the medicines that can cause them allergies. I
personally understood the fact that medications provided to the patients must be reviewed for
better understanding. As pointed out by Jones et al. (2018), medicines can be termed as one of
the most common treatment in terms of healthcare. In similar regards, I feel that proper
medication can help in achieving better health outcomes at all levels of tenure within the
hospital. In addition to that I feel that Medication safety standard should be maintained and

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further applied in conjunction with other standards of NSQHS, including standard of clinical
governance and even partnering with the consumers. Thus, action plan can be made through
proper care and immediate actions (Hogden et al. 2015)
Conclusion
The incident taught me the importance of nursing standards. It becomes important to
understand the fact that abiding by the mentioned standards of nursing positive health outcomes
can be proposed. In addition to that it can be concluded it is important to maintain the standards
and make sure that the healthcare is maintained for better outcomes in health and promising care
for patients irrespective of their age and socio-economic backgrounds. The standards of
healthcare practises remain to provide of care without any possible delays

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References
Flanigan, K. (2016). NSQHS standard-patient identification. ACORN: The Journal of
Perioperative Nursing in Australia, 29(1), 23.
Gilbert, A. V., Patel, B. K., Roberts, M. S., Williams, D. B., Crofton, J. H., Morris, N. M., ... &
Gilbert, A. L. (2017). An audit of medicines information quality in electronically
generated discharge summaries–evidence to meet the Australian National Safety and
Quality Health Service Standards. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research, 47(5),
355-364.
Havers, S., Hall, L., Page, K., & Wilson, A. (2016). Turning policy into practice–Infection
control practitioner perspectives on implementation of Standard 3 criteria 10 aseptic
technique of the NSQHS standards. Infection, Disease & Health, 21(3), 143.
Hogden, A., Debono, D., Greenfield, D., & Braithwaite, J. (2015). Partnering with consumers:
the Australian experience of the development of a national health service accreditation
standard. In 32nd International Safety and Quality Conference:: Building quality and
safety into the healthcare system.
Jones, D., Bhasale, A., Bailey, M., Pilcher, D., & Anstey, M. H. (2018). Effect of a National
Standard for Deteriorating Patients on Intensive Care Admissions Due to Cardiac Arrest
in Australia. Critical care medicine, 46(4), 586-593.
Martin, C., Jones, D., & Wolfe, R. (2017). State-wide reduction in in-hospital cardiac
complications in association with the introduction of a national standard for recognising
deteriorating patients. Resuscitation, 121, 172-178.

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Pearson, O., Franks, C., Keech, W., McBride, K., Morey, K., Sivak, L., & Wade, V. (2016).
Safety and Quality Improvement Guide (SQID) for the Actions which relate to meeting
the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from the National Safety and
Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (Version 2).
Ritchie, A., Gaca, M., Siemensma, G., Taylor, J., & Gilbert, C. (2018). Australian health
libraries’ contributions to hospital accreditation and the National Safety and Quality
Health Services (NSQHS) Standards: results of the Health Libraries for National
Standards (HeLiNS) research project.