Health Care System :: Health, Nursing, Denial of Coverage

Todays health guardianship environment is increasingly complex, as issues compete for importance. As a consequence of this, nurses oftentimes face ethical dilemmas. In deciding the best course of action in such dilemmas, nurses bath look for guidance to professional standards of conduct, such as those enumerated in the Code of moral philosophy of the American Nursing Association (ANA). According to Mahlmeister (1996), each nurse should own a copy of the ANA code, as this document can provide guidance on situations that nurses face on an almost daily basis. For example, consider a situation that may result from one hospital arduous to institute policies concerning cost containment. In order to keep the cost down, the nurse in charge of a 7 bed unit (without a nurses assistance) is expect under a restructuring visualize to also work a second adult ward if there are fewer than three children on the pediatric unit during the night touch (Mahlmeister, 1996). This split shift lea ves these pediatric patients unattended while the nurse is in the adult ward. The ANA Code of Ethics states that it is the nurses responsibility to safety the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any person (Mahlmeister, 1996, p. 130). horizontal though this nurse was arranged by a manager to leave the pediatric setting, the nurse is personally accountable for his or her actions for any situation that may arise during this absence. Not altogether is this practice unacceptable professionally, but it is also problematic legalistically, as the nurse could be personally sued for any negative consequences to these patients (Mahlmeister, 1996). Therefore, it is the nurses profession to recognize these unacceptable risks and beat out all avenues available within the hospital to correct this requirement (Mahlmeister, 1996). Another problematic area of nursing concerns the denial of reportage that often ensues d ue to the climax of managed care organizations (MCOs). It is becoming increasingly more difficult to reconcile the needs of the patient in terms of quality care with what insurers are willing to pay back for (Rushton, 1996). For example, Maria, a 10-year-old, is hit by a car while riding her bike. She is taken to the closest emergency room, which happens to be the Childrens Hospital. She has a concussion, an open fracture of the left field femur, a simple fracture of the left arm, and multiple abrasions (Rushton, 1996). The closest hospital that is part of Marias MCO plan is an adult hospital without pediatric specialists, which is located more than 25 miles from present location.Health Care System Health, Nursing, Denial of CoverageTodays healthcare environment is increasingly complex, as issues compete for importance. As a consequence of this, nurses frequently face ethical dilemmas. In deciding the best course of action in such dilemmas, nurses can look for guidance to profe ssional standards of conduct, such as those enumerated in the Code of Ethics of the American Nursing Association (ANA). According to Mahlmeister (1996), each nurse should own a copy of the ANA code, as this document can provide guidance on situations that nurses face on an almost daily basis. For example, consider a situation that may result from one hospital trying to institute policies concerning cost containment. In order to keep the cost down, the nurse in charge of a 7 bed unit (without a nurses assistance) is expected under a restructuring plan to also work a second adult ward if there are fewer than three children on the pediatric unit during the night shift (Mahlmeister, 1996). This split shift leaves these pediatric patients unattended while the nurse is in the adult ward. The ANA Code of Ethics states that it is the nurses responsibility to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by incompetent, unethical or illegal practice of any pers on (Mahlmeister, 1996, p. 130). Even though this nurse was ordered by a manager to leave the pediatric setting, the nurse is personally accountable for his or her actions for any situation that may arise during this absence. Not only is this practice unacceptable professionally, but it is also problematic legalistically, as the nurse could be personally sued for any negative consequences to these patients (Mahlmeister, 1996). Therefore, it is the nurses duty to recognize these unacceptable risks and exhaust all avenues available within the hospital to correct this requirement (Mahlmeister, 1996). Another problematic area of nursing concerns the denial of coverage that often ensues due to the advent of managed care organizations (MCOs). It is becoming increasingly more difficult to reconcile the needs of the patient in terms of quality care with what insurers are willing to pay for (Rushton, 1996). For example, Maria, a 10-year-old, is hit by a car while riding her bike. She is taken to the closest emergency room, which happens to be the Childrens Hospital. She has a concussion, an open fracture of the left femur, a simple fracture of the left arm, and multiple abrasions (Rushton, 1996). The closest hospital that is part of Marias MCO plan is an adult hospital without pediatric specialists, which is located more than 25 miles from present location.