SUBSTANDARD PATIENT CARE

Substandard Patient Care



Substandard Patient Care

Introduction

Substandard care is a problem that plagues many facilities throughout the nation. There are, unfortunately, a great many examples of care that does not meet the levels of quality that is expected from a modern medical facility (Greenhealth, 2008). This is where the accreditation process comes in. With watchdog organizations providing oversight, the organizational structure is in place to set policies for patient care that all accredited facilities must adhere to. These practices and standards are set to provide each facility the guidelines of how to treat the patients who trust his or her healthcare needs to that facility, and to give patients the peace of mind of knowing what to expect when it comes to the professionalism of the staff. Hopefully, with these measures in place, the healthcare system in this country can continue to be regarded as a leader in patient care.

An Example of Substandard 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 ...