Aim
This task requires you to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply key concepts presented in modules 1 and 2 and relate these to the legal, ethical and socio-political concepts that you are able to identify in one of the two case studies supplied.
Task description
This task is based on two medication case studies. You can access the case studies below.
Case study 1
Janet Ann Cook, 79, was admitted to a South Australian hospital on 25 March 2020 for end-stage cardiac failure, complicating liver and renal failure.
She was placed in room 26 – however, just two doors away in room 28 was a lady by the name of Norma Cock.
Mrs Cock was a patient who required both subcutaneous Novorapid 52 units mane, a drug kept in the fridge in the medication room, and 12 units Lantus subcutaneously mane.
Meanwhile Mrs Cook was prescribed Metformin 500mg BD and Actrapid as per sliding scale chart.
There were two nurses present at the bedside when Mrs Cook was mistakenly administered Novorapid 32 units and Lantus 12 units subcutaneously, after which she died nine days later.
One of them was an enrolled nurse primarily responsible for the care of both Mrs Cook and Mrs Cock, as well as two other patients in the ward.
This nurse, who has since been the subject of an inquiry by AHPRA, was adamant that a registered nurse who had accompanied him had administered the medication to Mrs Cook without calling out the identity numbers first.
He also claimed that he did not see the medication being given because he was busy looking at the patient chart.
“It is apparent also that he observed the medication being administered to Mrs Cook who, had he been concentrating, he would have identified as the wrong patient, having nursed both Mrs Cook and Mrs Cock that morning.”
“It is consistent with that state of inattention that he would also have failed to listen carefully to the identification as read out from the wristband.”
“That, in summary, is the coroner’s findings as to the explanation for the medication error in this instance.”
An expert witness told the inquiry that the medication error “materially shortened” Mrs Cook’s life expectancy and that the dose of insulin would have “flattened her”—as she was a frail elderly patient who had liver impairment.
“It is no coincidence that her health dramatically deteriorated in the hours following the administration of the insulin,” the coroner found.
You are required to examine the key
legal,
ethical
and socio-political aspects
of the case studies
, taking into account the scope of practice of the registered nurse and consideration of safety and quality in medication management practices via national standards.
Assessment criteria and marking rubric
Your submission will be assessed against the following criteria. You are strongly encouraged to review the marking rubric for this assessment task as it provides more detailed information about the assessment criteria.
- Identify scope of practice issues that relates to the case study (weighting: 20%).
- Identify the legal aspects of the case with reference to legislation (weighting: 40%).
- Identify the ethical and socio-political aspects of the case in relation to nursing codes and standards (weighting: 30%).
- Adheres to academic writing principles (weighting 10%).
Marking rubric
View the detailed marking rubric(pdf)