Scenario:
A 2-year old girl was rushed in the Emergency Room by her parents due to dog bites in the face and neck, and scratches in the arms. Unluckily, the ER was also filled with other patients. The victim’s parents have called the attention of one of the staff nurses in the ER who was going through a medical chart but they were ignored. Ten minutes later, still no help came. The victim’s desperate cry drowned inside the room as a flood of hospital emergency noises keep coming in. Then a nursing student trainee saw the bloodied victim and hurried to apply first aid.
Type of Abuse
Prevention of Abuse
Hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities must have informative programs on patient abuse to strengthen patient awareness on what to do in case they experience one or how to basically prevent it. A particular type of support system, e.g. help desk, posters that show offices to refer to or numbers to call, must be visible in the health care facility as well as client feedback form. It is also essential that the management of health care facilities develop professional practice guidelines in the prevention of patient/client abuse, such as the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario had developed (2006).
In other types of abuse such as patient abuse, for example, Brian Payne, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University, discusses a number of prevention strategies for elder abuse. Doing advance research or knowing which health care facilities in the vicinity adhere to regulatory codes can be helpful. (Payne, 2003)
References:
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2006) ‘Prevention of Abuse of Patients/Clients.’ Retrieved 8 November 2011 from http://www.crto.on.ca/pdf/PPG/abuse.pdf.
Oregon State Hospital. (n.d.) ‘Patient Abuse.’ Patient Rights and Advocacy Commission, Inc., Retrieved 8 November 2011 from http://home.comcast.net/~patientrights/My_Homepage_Files/Page4.html
Payne, B. (2003). Preventing Elder Abuse Requires an Integrated Approach. Quest Summer, Volume 6 Issue 2. Old Dominion Unversity, Norfolk, VA. Retrieved 8 November 2011 from http://www.odu.edu/ao/instadv/quest/ElderAbuse.html
