NRS 430V Professional Dynamics
Week 4: Discussion Question 1 & 2
Grand Canyon University
Week 4 Discussion 1
Outline the process for the development of nursing standards of practice for
your state, including discussion of the entities involved in developing the
standards of practice and how the standards of practice influence the
nursing process for your areas of specialty.
Week 4 Discussion 2
Outline the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing.
Provide examples of how a nurse demonstrates professional accountability
in clinical expertise, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice
1
, Week 4 Discussion 1
Outline the process for the development of nursing standards of practice for your
state, including discussion of the entities involved in developing the standards of
practice and how the standards of practice influence the nursing process for your
areas of specialty.
Answer:
I am currently working in both pediatrics and the geriatric unit. As far as I know, the
HIPPA law and the Advance directive (state-specific) are widely used throughout the
US, but I am also applying in California where I live. Common to working in pediatrics
and geriatric is that most children in the pediatrics depend on ventilators, which makes it
difficult for them to communicate. Also most of them are minors; they do not have the
right to decide their own health care status. An advance directive is a document by
which a person makes provision for health care decisions in the event that, in the future,
he or she becomes unable to make those decisions, including “Living Will,” and
“Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care” (Patients rights council, n.d.). In contrast,
the HIPAA Authorization is not a power of attorney, so you can waive the strict right of
privacy under Federal law regarding your medical information (Hunt, 2011). The
advance directive is usually based on the parent's decision and depending on whether
the parent is divorced or not, the actual care standards should be in accordance with
the direction of the decision-making parent. You need to know your informed consents
to be signed and the elderly and most of the patients should be informed only by a legal
representative on the durable power of attorney form with symptoms such as dementia
or sundown syndrome. Of course, nurses are the advocate for the patient who is more
aware of the patient's health status at the workplace, but they should be directed to the
patient's treatment or care based on the decision of the legal power of attorney. For
example, if a parent refuses blood transfusion for religious reasons because he or she
believes in Jehovah's Witness even in the event of a child's need for blood transfusion,
treatment can not be actively undertaken. As an example of my personal plight, my
elderly patient had several daughters, but I could not get in touch with the daughter
listed on the durable power of attorney in an emergency, so I'll get in touch with the
other girl first and get involved in heritage inheritance issues. It was a time when I
realized that I could have a more difficult situation because of the legal situation with my
family rather than patient care in the floor.
References
Hunt, PD. (2011). The Difference Between an Advance Health Care Directive and a
HIPAA Authorization. Retrieved from
http://huntestatelaw.com/the-difference-between-an-advance-health-care-directive-and-
a-hipaa-authorization/
Patients rights council. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/advance-directives-definitions/
2
Week 4: Discussion Question 1 & 2
Grand Canyon University
Week 4 Discussion 1
Outline the process for the development of nursing standards of practice for
your state, including discussion of the entities involved in developing the
standards of practice and how the standards of practice influence the
nursing process for your areas of specialty.
Week 4 Discussion 2
Outline the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing.
Provide examples of how a nurse demonstrates professional accountability
in clinical expertise, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice
1
, Week 4 Discussion 1
Outline the process for the development of nursing standards of practice for your
state, including discussion of the entities involved in developing the standards of
practice and how the standards of practice influence the nursing process for your
areas of specialty.
Answer:
I am currently working in both pediatrics and the geriatric unit. As far as I know, the
HIPPA law and the Advance directive (state-specific) are widely used throughout the
US, but I am also applying in California where I live. Common to working in pediatrics
and geriatric is that most children in the pediatrics depend on ventilators, which makes it
difficult for them to communicate. Also most of them are minors; they do not have the
right to decide their own health care status. An advance directive is a document by
which a person makes provision for health care decisions in the event that, in the future,
he or she becomes unable to make those decisions, including “Living Will,” and
“Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care” (Patients rights council, n.d.). In contrast,
the HIPAA Authorization is not a power of attorney, so you can waive the strict right of
privacy under Federal law regarding your medical information (Hunt, 2011). The
advance directive is usually based on the parent's decision and depending on whether
the parent is divorced or not, the actual care standards should be in accordance with
the direction of the decision-making parent. You need to know your informed consents
to be signed and the elderly and most of the patients should be informed only by a legal
representative on the durable power of attorney form with symptoms such as dementia
or sundown syndrome. Of course, nurses are the advocate for the patient who is more
aware of the patient's health status at the workplace, but they should be directed to the
patient's treatment or care based on the decision of the legal power of attorney. For
example, if a parent refuses blood transfusion for religious reasons because he or she
believes in Jehovah's Witness even in the event of a child's need for blood transfusion,
treatment can not be actively undertaken. As an example of my personal plight, my
elderly patient had several daughters, but I could not get in touch with the daughter
listed on the durable power of attorney in an emergency, so I'll get in touch with the
other girl first and get involved in heritage inheritance issues. It was a time when I
realized that I could have a more difficult situation because of the legal situation with my
family rather than patient care in the floor.
References
Hunt, PD. (2011). The Difference Between an Advance Health Care Directive and a
HIPAA Authorization. Retrieved from
http://huntestatelaw.com/the-difference-between-an-advance-health-care-directive-and-
a-hipaa-authorization/
Patients rights council. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/advance-directives-definitions/
2
