State Board of Nursing

State Board of Nursing

Question 1

There are many conflicting viewpoints on the effect that prolonged work hours have on an individual when pondering the many difficulties of work elements for nurses. Some hospitals have noticed the impact of weariness on medical errors and have taken proactive steps to change work hours from the usual. This decision, in my opinion, should not be left solely to the board of nursing (BON). The BON could recommend a maximum number of hours, and doctors should be required not to work more than the maximum number of hours per week. Perhaps limiting the number of sequential shifts a caregiver can work is a better solution. Nurse fatigue, in my opinion, is very authentic and must be addressed. According to Nightingale et al. (2018), caring can have a physical and emotional impact, so it is critical to recognize one’s limitations and seek assistance when necessary.

This is crucial for both the nurse and the person cared for because with the correct assistance, you will be able to carry out your position as a professional for as long as you need to. Mental weariness may lead to errors, and when such errors harm patients' health and well-being, the repercussions can be disastrous. Consider a weary nurse misunderstanding a healthcare provider's directions to continue home meds, resulting in a diabetic patient missing insulin. Consider a patient who is allergic to penicillin and is wrongly administered the antibiotic to treat an illness, resulting in an allergic response, septic shock, or worse. According to Cross (2019), many nurses feel that nursing weariness is a normal component of the "Nurses are caregivers; as a result of this concept, they typically do not dedicate enough   attention to self-care." Some nurses perform successive shifts without taking a lunch break. Unfortunately, this is not unusual among other nurses, who frequently feel terrible for not taking a break. "Lethargy can be harmful to patients." Nurses who are tired may have a slower reaction time, less attention to detail, and less problem-solving ability, which increases the risk of errors and injury.

Question 2

Yes, I feel that the knowledge learned from this course will help me to be more aware of professional limits in my work. Professional boundaries are essential for all nurses to understand and uphold. A nurse has authority, and the patient is vulnerable not only because of their disease but rather because the nurse has access to their sensitive information. In today's world, social networking platforms make it much simpler for nurses to violate the law, often without even realizing it. Electronic gadgets enable quick posting, blogging, and sharing of virtually anything.

     With these gadgets in the office, pulling out a mobile phone, taking a photo of anything, and posting it on social media becomes second nature. Knowing and being aware of these professional boundaries, on the other hand, is essential. In his study, Cargill (2018),   highlights strategies such as keeping the dialogue focused on the patient, providing something to aid the patient without harming yourself or professional integrity, and leaning into your intuition to help you preserve professional boundaries. Before taking this course, I had an overview of the pros, and a piece of more specified knowledge has given me a better understanding of it.

References

Cargill, J. T. (2018). Exploring professional boundaries in AYA nursing care. In Nursing Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer (pp. 63-78). Springer, Cham. Exploring professional boundaries in AYA nursing care. In Nursing Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer (pp. 63-78). Springer, Cham.

Cross, L. A. (2019). Compassion fatigue in palliative care nursing: A concept analysis. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 21(1), 21.