Project 2: Nursing Placement Experience and Standards of Practice

This report provides a detailed account of a nursing placement experience within a stroke ward, focusing on the application of Australian Registered Nurse (RN) professional standards. The report highlights a specific patient case, detailing the challenges faced during medication administration and the importance of effective communication and holistic patient care. It emphasizes the adherence to standards 2.2 and 6.1, which address effective communication, cultural sensitivity, and safe, quality practice. The report further explores the potential negative impacts on patient health and well-being if these standards are neglected, including legal liabilities, professional misconduct, and compromised patient outcomes. It underscores the significance of maintaining patient confidentiality, fostering a culture of safety, and employing evidence-based practices to enhance patient care and quality of life. The report concludes by stressing the necessity for RNs to prioritize ethical conduct and comprehensive patient assessment to ensure optimal patient outcomes and uphold the integrity of the nursing profession.

Project 2
Placement Experience and Standards for Practice
Guidelines
Introduction
Work placement is a period in which an individual or group is involved in doing the work under
supervision where they have been provided with an opportunity to experience working on specific
role in organisation. The work experience placement is a temporary role in which people who are
looking for a job in any specific field to gain practical experience. Australian nursing standards are
being implemented by government which needs to be followed by registered nurse and every
nursing associated who is included in the process. They all need to abide by rules and regulations
which is been provided by government. All rules and regulations needs to be followed by nurses.
Present report will lay emphasis on experience from a previous professional placement. It will also
lay focus on Impact to patient if RN Professional Standard criteria are neglected or not adhered.
Describe an experience from a previous professional placement
My previous placement was in stroke ward. I was dealing with patients who have recently suffered
stroke. At first I was really nervous as the patients seem tired and they were also having difficulty to
breathe. This case scenario presents a patient with acute ischemic cerebrovascular accident
(CVA) and who has recently suffered from ischaemic stroke. The patient was going through
medication administration. In this medicines related to CVA was been given to patient because of
which adverse effect was been faced. I became anxious and stressed about how to handle patients
suffering because of side effects of medication. Patient was 65 years old, whose fictitious name was
John. Patient was going through multiple comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes,
dyslipidemia, and smoking history, which put him at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular
disease. This can be because of side effects of medication given for CVA. This has assisted me in
enhancing health outcome of patients. I also made use of effective communication skills so that
better relationship can be developed with patient, by this I was been able to analyse patients’ needs

and wants. I was also being involved in taking holistic care of patient. I have well prepared by
documents so that during the time of discharge patients face no issue. I have made sure that while
treating patients, I keep my personal and professional life separated. I was being involved in making
sure that cultural aspects and dignity of patients was been maintained.
Australian Registered Nurse Professional Nursing Standards
According to Nursing and midwifery Board of Australia, (2016) the registered nursing professional
standards works on various principles which needs to be followed by those individuals who are
acting as RN. There are basically seven principles which must be taken into consideration. The above
experience matches the nursing standard 2.2 and 6.1. The standard 2.2 provides detail that
registered nurse is been engaged in communicating effectively by taking care of the person belief,
dignity and culture.
In standard 6.1 provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes
that are responsive to the nursing needs of people. This principle was being used by registered nurse
in stroke ward. The nurses are being held accountable for their action, the care provided by them.
They are also held accountable for the decisions which is being made by them. Main reason of this is
because patient’s life is based on decisions that are being taken by them. According to the standard
while performing in stroke ward, they must be engaged in analysing and critically evaluating the
quality practice. They also must be involved in developing the practices through experiences,
feelings and knowledge of others. This will assist nurses in making sure that better practices are
being adopted by them. During the nursing placement time and while dealing with John nurses
made sure that the culture belief of the patient was maintained. They must be engaged in ensuring
that the cultural sentiments of service users are not being hurt. This has enhanced the quality and
well-being of patients.
Nurses should also be involved in making use of ethical frameworks. This will assist them in making
sure that better practices are implemented within the work placement. In the view of Barnable,
Cunning & Parcon, M. (2018) as a registered nurse who are been involved in working in stroke ward,
and was admitted for medication administration were involved in keeping the documentation of
patient John upgraded and also better actions and decision needs to be taken. All these nursing
standards given by Australian board must be followed by registered nurse. These standards must not
be neglected and all of them needs to be followed. Registered nurse must make sure that
therapeutic and professional relationship is being established by them. These standards were
followed while treating John, so that feeling of general trust is been created by them. Although
registered nurse must make sure that personal relationship and professional relationship are kept
aside. They must work by following ethical code of conduct. There must be effective communication

between patient and registered nurse. They also need to ensure that needs and wants of patients
are being analysed by them, so that better services are being provided to patient. This will assist
registered nurses in enhancing well-being and quality of life of patients. In the registered nurse are
also provided with responsibility to foster culture of safety. Nurses also needs to be involved in
making use of the person centred approach. They must make sure that nurses are been engaged in
providing holistic care. In this registered nurse can also be involved in advocating in behalf of
patient.
As a registered nurse while treating John, make sure that personal data of patient is kept
confidential. This has assisted in implementing the trust between the patients. It has also been
analysed that delegation and supervision must be done by registered nurse so that better
professional relationship is being implemented. Collaborative practices can also be used by nurses.
This will assist them in making use of better strategies so that patient health outcome can be
enhanced. It has also been analysed that if required registered nurse also needs to be involved in
making use of evidence based practice. This will assist them in making sure that well-being and
health outcome of patient is been enhanced. It has also been analysed that timely and direct
supervision is been given to patient. Decisions must be taken by them by considering patients and
also their family must be taken into consideration. This will allow them in improvising well-being of
patient. It will assist in making sure that better care is provided to patient.
In the opinion of Gabrielsson, Eriksson & Godskesen, (2020) the registered nurse standard of
practice are being designed for RN’s across all the areas of practice. The RN’s who are working in
stroke ward needs to be involved in providing the education and knowledge to patients related to
disease. They must be engaged in making sure that patients are well aware of early signs and
symptoms of disease. This will assist them in improvising well-being. This will assist them in
enhancing the others control over health. Registered nurse can also be involved in making use of the
lifelong learning approach where they are being involved in professional development of self and
others. In this they should also be engaged in taking accountability and responsibility for their own
decisions. It has also been analysed that various Australian nursing standard has provided the details
that registered nurses must be involved in conducting the assessment which are holistic in nature.
They must also be involved in doing the risk assessment so that no harm is been faced by patients
(West, (2020).
As a registered nurse, make sure that these standards are not being neglected. Registered nurses
can also be involved in analysing the factors which can affect health and well-being of people
(Schmidt et.al., (2017). This has assisted in making sure that quality of life of patients is being
improved. It has also been analysed that nurses should also be engaged in making sure that no

culture sentiments and belief of people are being hurt while providing them with treatment.
Effective communication practices must be used by them so that they can know about needs and
demands of patients. This will assist them in knowing issues which has been faced by them. It will
also assist them in improvising well-being and health outcome of patients. They must analyse factors
which cause patients harm.
Impact to patient if RN Professional Standard criteria are neglected or non-adhered
As a registered nurse, various nursing standards were being followed. The standard related to
nursing professional which was followed by nurses included 2.2 and 6.1. It has been analysed and it
is really necessary that registered nurses are being involved in following the standards. In these
standards the nurse who is working in stroke ward is making sure that comprehensive and quality of
practices are being followed so that they can adhere to needs of patients. In the other standard
which is 2.2 as registered nurse was been involved in doing adequate communication and is also
been engaged in making sure that the patients dignity, culture and belief are not being hampered. If
these standards are not being followed by nurses in stroke ward, then they might hamper the health
aspect of patient. It has been analysed that more and more nurses are being defamed in mal
practices. There are various laws suits filed against registered nurses who are not being involved in
following the standards laid by Australian government (García-Moyano et.al., (2019). There are
various factors which has led to increase in contribution of mal practices. It includes delegation. In
hospitals there are various cost-contaminants efforts, where nurses are being involved in making the
task do with un-trained and unlicensed personnel’s. Besides some of the tasks which are delegated
by registered nurse can be considerable if given by the facility standard of care.
If the tasks are being delegated by RN to any untrained nurse, then this can lay several negative
impact on health and well-being of patient. Their quality of life may be hampered. The earlier
discharge can also be one of the reason for nursing mal practice. It has been analysed that patients
are being discharged from care units even if they required intensive care. Nurses can be sued if they
are not being engaged in providing acute and holistic care to patients which resulted and affected
patient’s well-being severely. It has been analysed that nurses can also be involved in not following
these standards because of the shortage of staff members which increases the likelihood to increase
costs. The increase in autonomy and roles responsibility of nurses can also be involved in increasing
greater risk and liability. All these factors are being linked with registered nurses involved in not
following the standards which can hamper well-being and quality of life of patients (Ion, Smith &
Dickens, (2017). It has been analysed that breach of nursing standard may be considering into

professional miss-conduct or unprofessional conduct. There can be criminality liabilities and suits
marked against nurses if they are not being engaged in following professional standards and
guidelines. It has also been analysed that registered nurses are required to maintain confidentiality.
If there is any breach of privacy, then patient can be involved in taking legal actions against nurses.
They might also not be involved in taking the services from that care unit again, so nurses
must be engaged in maintaining the privacy and confidentiality related to patient’s data. It has also
been analysed that if these standards are not being followed by the RN, then this can hamper well-
being and also because of this there are chances that patients may suffer. Patient’s health can be at
stake if these practices, standards or principles are not being followed by them. It can affect health
and well-being of them, so these needs to be followed. It is really necessary for registered nurses to
follow these principles as it can assist them in implementing quality of care and also because of this
health and well-being of patients can be improved. It has also been analysed that if these standards
are not being followed by the nurses then they can be sued (Ingham-Broomfield, (2017). They can
also not be further provided with responsibility and role to act as nurse, so they must make sure that
every standard is been followed by them.
It is also best for patient’s safety. This can enhance well-being and quality of life of patients. It can
also assist them in improving health status of patients. They will be able to have better control over
their health aspects. Nurses are held accountable for every decision which is been taken by them.
They cannot put it on someone else as only they are responsible for decisions taken by them. It is
also mandatory for nurses to involved patients and even their family member in decision making.
This will assist them in taking better decisions in regard to patients. Registered nurses also need to
make sure that they do not take any gift or benefit which can influence their decision making
(García-Moyano et.al., (2019). There must be no whistleblowing which means that they should make
sure that no disclosure of information is been done on their part. This will lead to malpractices and
also because of this they can be sued and liability can be passed against them. There must be not
breach of national mal-PR actioner law, if this happens they can be sued. Nurses in the stroke ward
also needs to make sure that they keep their personal and professional relationship aside. This is
because if this happens then their decisions might get influenced because of personal relationship.
Nurses needs to follow the ethical code of conduct. In this they must make sure that the belief,
thoughts and values of the patient is being followed by them. If they do not address to these
concerns, then patients may not like this and it can affect their well-being severely. It can also affect
their quality of life. In the future practice it has been analysed that professional’s judgements has to
be made by nurses by taking into consideration person rights and interest. The dignity culture values
and beliefs of patients must be respected (Sauer, Hannon & Beyer, (2017).

Conclusion
From the above essay it has been summarised that registered nurses have been involved in following
various standards while taking care of patients who are admitted in stroke ward. In this they have
been involved in following the ethical code of conduct. They have made sure that no cultural
sentiments of patients are being hurt. They have been involved in working ethically, so that feeling
of general trust is been created by them. Although registered nurse must make sure that personal
relationship and professional relationship are kept aside. It has also been analysed that if these
standards are not being followed then quality and well-being of patient will be hampered. So RN has
been engaged in following all these standards. This has assisted them in enhancing well-being of
patients and also this has improved their quality of life.

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