SUBSTANDARD PATIENT CARE

Substandard Patient Care

Substandard Patient Care

Due to the professional healthcare shortage, patient care has been deteriorating. “Quality of healthcare has been defined as the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge” (McLaughlin & Kaluzny, 2006). What follows is an example of substandard patient care and how it relates to patient care.

During a routine patient rehabilitation session, an elderly patient complained of a sharp pain in his lower extremities. Upon further inspection, the physical therapist assistant who was attending the patient noticed extreme swelling in the calf of the left leg. The therapist contacted the nursing staff who was responsible for the patients care, and informed them of the situation. A member of the nursing staff arrived shortly after to attend to the patient. This nurse decided that the symptoms pointed to a possible fracture of the tibia or fibula based on the location of the swelling and discomfort. The nurse then sent the patient for an x-ray to determine the extent of the break. The x-ray came back negative for any type of fracture, which puzzled the staff. The nurse then made the assumption that the problem was related to a muscle or tendon issue and asked the therapist if he could created additional exercises in that patient's therapy regimen to address the perceived issue. Over the next few days, the swelling began to subside though the patient still complained of discomfort. During a session of rehabilitation focused on this new leg problem, the rehab tech noticed a return of the swelling and warmness at a localized area of the calf. The situation alarmed the nursing staff who then ordered a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. By using an MRI, the staff was able to see that the patient in fact, had a blocked blood vessel in his lower leg from a blood clot. The therapy that the nursing staff had requested for the patient was putting his life at risk.

The previous aforementioned is a perfect example of substandard patient care. The nursing staff should have done their due diligence and sent the patient for an MRI immediately upon finding that the x-ray was negative. Had this patient's condition gone unnoticed or worsened, it could have led to further medical complications or even death. This oversight by the facilities staff could have cost the facility ...