The nurse practitioner (NP) is responsible for patient care and is the first line of advocacy
for the patients. In this scenario, the nurse practitioner saw several heated arguments in patient
areas. Therefore, the NP has an ethical responsibility to confront her coworker’s behavior and
report the behavior if it has not been resolved or stopped. Allowing this behavior to continue
could involve the nurse practitioner in ethical and legal implications of malpractice or neglect.
Even though the nurse practitioner was not the one that had the responsibility to report the low
vital sign, it is the NP’s responsibility to check on their patients frequently. In addition, by being
a patient advocate, it is essential for the NP to make sure the patient’s environment is safe and
free from unneeded outside drama.
The medical director is responsible for everyone in the clinical practice. Therefore, the
medical director is ethically and legally responsible for the implications done by everyone
working in the clinical practice in addition to the patients and families that come into the
healthcare facility. The medical director could face legal implications if the patient or the
patient’s family decides to pursue legal actions. In addition, the medical director could face
termination because if the medical director lets this conduct continue then that could hinder the
reputation of the practice and the safety of the patients.
The practice needs to change the way it is conducted. It is great that the clinical practice
has employees that have worked together for so many years, but that also causes too much
comfort. Where the employees focus more on themselves and their personal lives rather than the
patient’s safety, and outcome. When an employee goes to work, they should feel supported by
the coworkers they are surrounded by; however, their personal life should not trump a crucial
vital sign. A patient should feel like the priority regardless of the number of patients the
healthcare professional has; therefore, if the patient overhears an argument that can lead to a
negative impression. This can lead to a bad reputation for the clinical practice and potentially
lead to a malpractice suit. The patient with the low blood pressure could have had additional
symptoms that could have been identified early if the information was relayed properly and
efficiently. This could have caused the practice to lose its license or cause potential patients to
not come to the practice
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