A Surgical Conscience

In accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO 2008) checklist and Local trust policies, a team briefing was held before the day’s list started. The checklist is part of a second Global Patient Safety Challenge initiative entitled ‘Safe Surgery Saves Lives’, aimed at reducing the number of surgical deaths worldwide and was launched in June 2008. This not

The process of consent should apply not only to surgical procedures but all clinical procedures and examinations which involve any form of touching. This must not mean more forms: it means more communication. As part of the process of obtaining consent, except when they have indicated otherwise, patients should be given sufficient information about what is to take place, the risks, uncertainties, and possible negative consequences of the proposed treatment, about any alternatives and about the likely outcome, to enable them to make a choice about how to proceed.”5

In 2003, as an outcome of all the sentinel events reported to the Joint commission lead to the creation of the “The Universal protocol for preventing wrong site, wrong procedures, and wrong person surgery” (Mulloy & Hughes 2008). So, one of the ways that could have potentially prevented the situation from happening at the first place was implementing the universal protocol procedure. According to the protocol the conduction of proper pre as well as post-operating procedures are extremely mandatory. Therefore, by enforcing a standardized routine pre-operating procedure such as verifying the patient as well as the correct site for the procedure, by having the medical staff or preferably the physician marking the operating site with his or her initials before the surgery will be an effective preventive measure (Mulloy & Hughes 2008).

Ethics Committees are formed to help hospital and medical personnel resolve ethical issues that arise in their facility. The committee members are a mix of hospital personnel, including physicians, nurses, administration, social work, chaplains and others. These professionals work together to assure quality patient care in their facility. To achieve their goal the members must work together with open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making. I will discuss three points related to the ethics committee, 1) the development, structure, importance and goals of the ethics committee; 2) the importance of intra-professional collaboration, including the role of the nurses; and 3) present the structure, organization and role of an

Throughout our lives, we are plagued by the notion of ‘ethics’ or morals - the basis of our everyday behavior. The medical field is no exception, with doctors constantly reminded of the ethical duties they must carry out for each of their patients. An example of unethical doctors is demonstrated in Daniel Keyes’s short story, Flowers for Algernon. The story features Charlie Gordon, a man with an intellectual disability who strives to become smarter. He is a candidate for a new surgical procedure that is used to triple one’s intelligence which was directed by Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur. Although the procedure holds promise for helping a vast amount of people, Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss acted unethically by selecting Charlie to undergo the operation because they did not finish testing the procedure and because Charlie was unable to make a proper decision.

When a patient needs to have a medical procedure performed, they must first consent to the procedure. Before accepting or rejecting the treatment, the practitioner is required to give the patient information pertaining to the risks and benefits of the procedure, as well as available alternatives. Additionally, the patient must be mentally competent enough to make an informed decision, and not be manipulated or coerced into a decision.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows” (Japanese Proverb). Fear does not exist. It is a state of mind. In which our minds control our fears. Just as fear, our mind also controls our conscience. Both either lead you to doing the right thing or both will lead you to do what is wrong. The Crucible successfully demonstrates that there are characters whose fear paralyzes them from doing what is right and characters who follow their conscience, rather than following society.

The importance of informed consent and physician-patient communication was highlighted. The procedure to be performed or other treatment options must be well-explained, and the implication and possible conflicts that may arise should be discussed in order to minimize the occurrence of difficult situations like the cases presented in this session. With the current healthcare system, however, where physicians are severely limited in how much they can spend time with the patient

The main focus of this assignment is to examine the ethical, legal and professional frameworks, along with interprofessional collaboration in the provision of postoperative care to a gentleman who was refusing observations and how this influences and shapes professional practice.

Surgical site infections are considered preventable. Because such infections are considered preventable, there are legal consequences directly connected to such a condition. In this paper, I will discuss what an SSI is and the reasons on why it is considered to be preventable. I will also discuss the role of disclosure and legal implications that are related to SSIs, accreditation expectations, and continuous quality monitoring as it relates to SSIs.

Wrong site surgery remains the most frequently reported sentinel event, with 908 wrong site surgeries reported since 1995 (AORN, 2010). During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s there was a tremendous public concern and lack of trust for the medical profession, especially within surgical services. We as healthcare professionals needed to step up to the plate, slow down, and take responsibility to improve the quality of care we provide for our patients. Although there still is some resistance from surgeons and other healthcare professionals, overall there has been a general acceptance to universal protocol.

Research shows that Surgical site infections are preventable. According to the CDC, hand hygiene is the simplest approach to preventing the spread of infections and needs to be incorporated into the culture of the organization. Ensuring the use of infection control prevention is an important component of nursing care. Infection control prevention policies must be communicated undoubtedly to all employees. Staffers who do not comply must be re-educated to ensure that all are complying. Speaking up and pointing out that a nurse forgot to wash his or her hands, or notifying the surgical team that surgical instruments were not adequately cleaned may seem like small issues; but at the same time, not acknowledging a break in a sterile technique could mean the difference between life and death for a patient. One hospital that was struggling with high levels of infection related to surgical procedures, implemented a pre-procedure huddle as a team. This innovate way decreased the spread of infection and was a great way to improve the quality of care for patients. As mandated by the Joint commission, infection prevention personnel should provide multidisciplinary education on SSI prevention, to all team members, including

Ethics Committees are formed to help hospital and medical personnel resolve ethical issues that arise in their facility. The ethics committee members are a mix of hospital personnel, including physicians, nurses, administration, social work, chaplains and others. This intra-professionals team works together to assure quality patient care in their facility. To achieve their goal the members must work together with open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making. I will discuss three points related to the ethics committee, 1) the development, structure, importance and goals of the ethics committee; 2) the importance of intra-professional collaboration, including the role

This edition consists of nine chapters divided into three parts, as well as an appendix of ten biomedical ethics cases. In Part I, chapter 1, entitled "Moral Norms," introduces the decision-making framework with attention to specifying and balancing principles and rules for moral deliberation and decision-making. Chapter 2, entitled "Moral Character," elaborates on moral virtues and ideals as an often-neglected area in biomedical ethics. In Part II, chapters 3 through 6 present the four basic groups of principles, and chapter 7, "Professional-Patient Relationships," examines the moral rules of veracity,

The general awareness among patients on their rights during a medical procedure often conflict with the morals of the healthcare industry. Many times healthcare professionals are caught between