Chapter 1

The Most Challenging Case of My Career

Questions for Herminia

It is a very common expression when we have too much to do and not enough resources or help to do it all. When you feel this way, you might want to ask for help from your co-workers, or tell your team leader about your workload and try to decide the most important parts of the care that need to be done first for your patients.

The healthcare environment refers to the conditions and characteristics of a particular workplace. Healthcare environments will be different depending on the organization or institution, the members of the interprofessional healthcare team, and the political and economic factors that impact the organization. Even though most clinical nursing skills are transferable from job to job, different workplaces will have difference environments. When transitioning into a new environments and workplaces, there is always a period of adjustment. New employees will participate in an orientation to help them better understand the workplace. They’ll also need to learn the “culture”: the values, norms, expectations and acceptable behaviours within the healthcare environment.

Person-centred care means focusing on the patient’s needs and preferences while providing care.  Every patient is unique, so standard care planning and procedures may need to be adjusted to their individual needs. Person- and family-centred care makes sure that the patient and family are involved in the planning of their care and are involved in the decisions surrounding their care.

Each member of a health care team has a professional scope of practice, duties, and responsibilities to contribute their knowledge to the team and to the patient. So, the doctor’s orders may be discussed and questioned based upon the other health care professionals expert clinical knowledge. The healthcare team includes at least two members of any two different health care professions. The team is not limited to doctors and nurses, but should include anyone involved in caring for the patient.

Congrats! You've finished the first module!