Christina - Regarding your message of 3/15/07: In my mind, you are a true
professional. Everything you said is ethical and shows that you would not
be comfortable with negligent performance in your healthcare of others.
Thank you for expressing it so well. You are surely going to encourage
others to do likewise. If all or most RNs acted similarly, there would not
be any fear of being fired; a hospital would have to support the
professionalism of the RNs. It is only when most will not stand up and be
counted, that the few become fearful. Please continue the good work and
empower all women.
Warm regards,
Lee
Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC
Lactation Specialist
Lactation Center of Westchester/Putnam
Westchester County in NYS, USA
914-245-2206
[log in to unmask]
Vice-President
Westchester/Putnam/Rockland (WPR) Lactation Consortium
An ILCA affiliate
-----Original Message-----
From: Christina [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: Questioning Drs. orders
I could not agree more. If I have concerns about a M.D. order, I DO
question the physician about it. As stated, I'd lose my license if I
blindly followed an order that way. Most times, I can get a good
clarification on things. And as Melinda stated, most physicians do value
our input. If a doctor continues to order something I am not comfortable
with, I do have options. I can refuse to carry out the order and provide
documentation as to why and what I did. Or, I can go ahead and carry out
the order, but also provide very clear documentation that I questioned it
and that the physician still wanted it carried out.
I am very careful with and protective of my nursing license. If something
went wrong and I had to stand in a court of law to defend my actions, I
doubt anyone would be supportive of "well, the doctor wrote an order to do
it". On the contrary, I'd be held liable because I am a professional and it
would be expected that I used professional judgement in my nursing actions
and decisions. Anyone can follow orders on a piece of paper. But I have
the assessment skills necessary to make critical nursing decisions - and I'm
expected to exercise those judgements on a constant basis.
Realistically, we DO refuse some things. Realistically, we will not be
unemployed for doing so. And we are not expected to "go along with the
status quo". Yes, there are difficult hospital cultures to overcome, but
regardless of what is going on, I'd never put my nursing license in
jeopardy. I'd sooner walk out the door permanently and voluntarily before I
did such a thing.
Christina Harris, RN
Seattle, WA
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
|