Case Study: Breaches of Professional Conduct in Nursing Practice

This case study examines the professional conduct of a registered nurse, focusing on her interactions with an elderly patient and the subsequent ethical and professional breaches. The nurse's failure to document assessments, recognize critical symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and low blood pressure), and promptly seek appropriate medical intervention, including contacting the patient's physician, are highlighted. The analysis identifies violations of the nursing code of conduct, including a failure to adhere to professional standards, demonstrate empathy, and work reflectively. The study emphasizes the importance of competency, accountability, and the impact of even minor errors in patient care, as the patient's condition deteriorates and ultimately leads to death. The case study concludes with lessons for novice nurses, stressing the significance of adhering to professional standards, documenting patient information, and responding swiftly to changes in a patient's condition. The nurse's actions, or lack thereof, are critically evaluated, underscoring the need for ethical practice and the consequences of negligence in healthcare settings.

Running head: BEING A PROFESSIONAL NURSE
1
Being a Professional Nurse
Institution’s Name
Date

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Introduction
In nursing, like in any other profession, nurses have to adhere to a certain code of
professional conduct. Thus, going contrary to the laid down regulations and code of conduct may
attract disciplinary action (Sand‐Jecklin, & Sherman, 2014). This paper entails a case study of a
registered nurse who attends old patients but conducts herself in a manner that raises concerns.
Thus, it is important to elaborate various questions that arise from the case study. In particular, it
is important to stipulate the activities that she is expected to conduct as a matter of urgency.
Secondly, the paper will elaborate on the professional conducts that are breached. In addition to
that, the paper highlights the professional behaviors that if practiced, were sufficient to make a
difference, and lastly, the lesson that a novice nurse or undergraduate student can draw from the
case study.
Best Conduct in the Case Study
The first thing is to evaluate the patient history; this is important as the nurse in charge
has to know what patient she or he is dealing with in regards to her health status. Additionally,
there must be the assessment of the patient and documentation of the same. Even though the
nurse did receive information on the patient’s history, and assesses her, she fails to make
documentation of her assessment (Holloway, & Galvin, 2016). Moreover, the nurse after
realizing the deteriorating condition of the patient, that is, abdominal pain and diarrhea,
respiratory rate of 40-44 breathes per minute and a blood pressure of 98/53. She ought to have
called her regular physician, Dr. Haron, for further treatment.
It is important for nurses to seek assistance in situations like the one presented in the case
study. Furthermore, it is important to make a call for drugs or any other assistance as may deem

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necessary in a situation like in the case study. As far as the case study is concerned, the nurse
calls the clinical nurse manager by the name Ms, Catherine Jones to arrange drugs of another
patient but not the old lady. Lastly, the nurse needs to recognize any symptoms that pose a threat
to a patient or any significant change in the patient condition and respond appropriately after
documenting (Black, 2016). Even though the nurse seems to have noticed the changes in the
patient, she fails to either document or responds appropriately.
Professional Code of Conduct breached
The case study presents the nurse as liable to certain professional responsibilities under
her professional code of conduct. To start with the first one, the nurse fails to appreciate the
value that nurses ought to conduct themselves by the relevant laws of the practice of the
profession (Johnstone, 2015). According to the case study, the nurse breaches the National law,
specifically, 13B regarding health professional which stipulates that all health care professionals
who conduct themselves in “unsatisfactory professional conduct” have committed an offense
(Forbes, & Watt, 2015). Locating evidence of this in the case study, one cannot fail to realize
that the nurse does not document her assessment, she also fails to call for an emergency despite
the fact that the issue at hand calls for an emergency.
In addition to that, it is a professional code of conduct among nurses that they have to
conduct themselves in accordance with the standards of their profession and also in regards to
the broader health system (Caricati et al.,2014). This entails the basic skills and knowledge that a
registered nurse is expected to demonstrate. In the case study given, again, failing to report or
calling for an emergency, document her findings or even mentions to the Clinical Nurse Manager

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is something that is against the profession and falls below what is expected of a registered nurse.
Especially, not the nurse with vast experience like in the one in the case study.
Lastly, all healthcare professionals need to work in a manner that is reflective and
ethically (Moghadam et al., 2016). In the case study, it is questionable whether the nurse has
empathy when she calls MS. Catherine Jones to arrange drugs but fails to mention the 81-year-
old patient who demonstrates red flags conditions. This is not the manner in which a nurse ought
to conduct her herself or himself (Choi et al.,2014). These are the codes of conduct among nurses
and midwives that the nurse bleaches as far as the case study is concerned.
Professional behaviors that can make a difference
The 81 years old patient’s health is deteriorating. However, there are various behaviors
that if put in place may have changed the situation. Firstly, since the patient is in a bad state, she
ought to have been referred to a bigger hospital earlier (Chadwick, & Gallagher, 2016). It is
surprising that, despite the doctor noticing various severe conditions, the patient continues to be
taken care of in a hospital that is relatively small. In addition to that, documents reveal that the
patient was undergoing depression. Thus, it is important that the nurse ought to have developed a
fond relationship with the patient to ensure that this does not increase her blood pressure or
respiratory rate. The nurse ought to have called or found the Doctor as he was present to treat the
patient, as the events unfold; the patient was unable to be transferred due to her failing condition
(Nursing, & Council, 2013). Thus, reporting to Dr. Haron, in advance may have helped have the
energy to push her until she arrives referral hospital.
Lessons from the case study

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There are numerous lessons that a novice nurse or undergraduate nurse preparing to join
the work force must note. First and foremost, is that one has to demonstrate competency in his
undertakings. Once a nurse is registered, negligence or avoiding the taking of his her
responsibility is never an excuse. In addition to that, there are laws that curb to punish those
performing below what is expected of them (Scanlon et al., 2016). It is a lesson that I find
coming out clearly in this case study. For instance, the complaints produce the work experience
of the nurse. It is worth noting that the fact that she is a registered nurse and performs her work
below her skills and knowledge is a vice.
Another thing that I learn from the case study is that small and minor mistakes put a
patient in a state that can cause death. The patient in the case study dies, but there are indications
that if the nurse had acted swiftly, perhaps things could have been different. The nurse fails to
alert the Doctor despite the fact that the patient condition is deteriorating and is in a red flag
zone. It is also evident that one can be held accountable for not documenting or assessing
patients, as in the case study, some of the complain and allegations leveled against the nurse is
that she fails to assess or document the patient health condition. Thus, I learned that every step
must be followed while working as a nurse.
On the other hand, it is clear that the board does not take strict or stringent actions against
the nurse. One must think that because the nurse fails to perform her duty as required which
contributes to causing the life a person, the nurse must either belong to jail or be revoked of her
practicing license. However, the committee recommends that she undergoes proper mentorship.
In addition to that, the committee applauds her for accepting her mistakes, and thus, they appear
to conclude that she might not repeat the same mistakes. This is encouraging to other novice
nurses and me that it does not mean that once a person makes a mistake. The committee comes

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in to punish a person, in fact, it appears that the body comes in to help one improves his or her
skills as they have a responsibility to maintain the reputation of their members, and the
profession as a whole.
Conclusion
In the case study, it is thus evident that the nurse violates several codes of conduct about
nursing as a profession. Firstly, she does not document the finding that she gets from assessing
the patient. Also, the nurse fails to recognize the symptoms that the patient is portraying and
make a proper plan of action. In addition to that, the nurse does not report the matter as urgent to
the doctor despite the patient demonstrating red flags. In so doing, the case study demonstrates
that the nurse violates some of the basic codes of professional conduct. The code of conduct that
she violates includes but is not limited to showing competency and mastery of knowledge and
working with reflection and demonstrating empathy. On the other hand, the case study tries to
demonstrate that in the absence of the nurse’s faults, the situation could have been different.
Lastly, as a novice nurse, there are various lessons that I can draw from the case study, least of
which is the ability to work with competency.

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