Course Reflection: Medical Orders, Patient Safety, and HUC Practice

This reflective journal entry details a student's experience in a medical orders course, highlighting the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The student gained valuable knowledge in areas such as tube orders, suctions, and infusion therapy, which are crucial for a hospital unit clerk (HUC). The reflection emphasizes the importance of understanding the HUC's role in providing information, resolving queries, and assisting healthcare providers. Furthermore, the journal explores the scope of practice for an HUC, focusing on legal expectations, patient confidentiality, and the risks associated with working outside the defined scope. The student identifies tools such as evidence-based practices, legal knowledge, and continuous education to ensure adherence to the scope of practice. The reflection concludes with the student's commitment to applying the acquired knowledge and seeking guidance from senior colleagues when necessary.

Introduction
Patients’ safety is most essential in clinical settings. In order to store and maintain the
health records of the patients it is important to have a knowledge on medical orders and rules
of client admission, transfer, discharge orders, dietary order, lab test order and many others.
Fundamental of medical order course helps in providing a better understanding about the
topic in this regard. Here, I am going to reflect my view regarding the course.
Experience throughout the course
Throughout the course, my skills were challenged and refined with each and every
experience. This course helped me in enhancing my critical thinking skill as well as problem
solving ability. I gained comprehensive knowledge in many aspects however, specifically,
orders related to tubes, suctions and infusion therapy was more informative as well as
valuable which attracted my interest. Role of a hospital unit clerk is also to provide
information and answering all the queries, hence, orders related to these areas specifically
helped me in acquiring more knowledge. The course content helped me to understand the role
of HUC as previously I had no idea that being a clerk I need to resolve queries of the patients
and their families as previously I thought my task will be just to transcribe and process data.
The scope of practice of a hospital unit clerk is assisting the physicians as well as other
healthcare providers within a healthcare organization. At the same time, the hospital unit
clerks work in transcribing and processing the physician orders that include laboratory,
medication, diagnostic imaging and the treatment orders. The clerks are responsible for
variety of administrative tasks and they need to keep the records of the patients. This requires
transcribing and processing the data when necessary. Scope of practice is associated with the
fulfilling of legal expectation. A successful placement always ensures reciprocal and mutual
benefits of the workers as well as the organizations. Working within the scope of practice

helps in identifying the procedures and the actions which an individual worker is permitted to
perform. Hospital unit clerk should remember that working within the scope of practice is
important in avoiding legal issues such as issues related to patients’ confidentiality and
others. Literatures indicated that working within the scope of practice helps in avoiding risks
(White et al., 2008).There are various risks of bending the rule by working outside the scope
of practice. Professionals might be unfamiliar with the rules and hence they can break it
which will impact not only the worker but also the reputation of the healthcare organization.
Performing any task outside the scope of practice always grounds for disciplinary actions by
the licensing agency. Not always the clients get impacted but it might impact my co-workers
and the team in my clinical settings. The literatures portrayed that working outside the scope
of practice creates conflicts among the workers (Eagar, Cowin, Gregory & Firtko, 2010).
Three tools that I will be using in order to stay within the scope of practice are using evidence
based practices, maintaining a general knowledge of law, participating in continuous
education programs. All these three tools will help me to stay updated and at the same time, it
will assist me in transcribing and processing medical orders more accurately.
Conclusion
Looking back into the course I learned, I can say that all these knowledge will help
me in my workplace to play my role successfully. However, I will always take help from my
seniors if any problem arises while performing my duty.

References
Eagar, S. C., Cowin, L. S., Gregory, L., & Firtko, A. (2010). Scope of practice conflict in
nursing: A new war or just the same battle?. Contemporary Nurse, 36(1-2), 86-95.
White, D., Oelke, N. D., Besner, J., Doran, D., Hall, L. M., & Giovannetti, P. (2008). Nursing
scope of practice: Descriptions and challenges. NURSING LEADERSHIP-ACADEMY
OF CANADIAN EXECUTIVE NURSES-, 21(1), 44.