On my first day in clinical practice at an operation section, I observed a circumstance where a patient refused to sign a consent form. He wanted to have a religious object attached to his body during surgery. The nurse could not decline or accept his request immediately before understanding the policy concerning the issue. She quickly gathered other nurses around and together reviewed regulations on the problem. They all agreed that with the surgeon’s approval, the patient could have his ornament wrapped in a non-conductive material and applied to him under a sterile dressing.
The relational inquiry strategy opportune physicians to establish a comprehensive understanding of patient circumstances by establishing a professional and honest relationship. In this approach, practitioners should listen attentively and accentuate the specifics (Younas, 2020). Additionally, clinicians should engage in extensive and situations precise questions to better comprehend the client-specific features. The model assists nurses in grasping aspects of a patient’s life, including culture, religion, and sexual orientation, among others that can influence service delivery and clinician-patient relationship (Zou, 2016). In this case, relational inquiry helped the nurse understand how to handle the client’s situation that involved a religious element.
Getting the context and culture right in a situation such as that of the current client is vital because it establishes the background for nurses to practice based on how client aspects interplay for optimal wellbeing. Each patient-specific characteristics determine how medics intervene to promote the health and welfare of patients and how they can cooperate with other clinicians to mitigate the differences. A better understanding of the context and culture supports a better clinician-patient connection. When doctors comprehend their patient’s issues, they can be empathic and emotionally supportive (Kaihlanen et al., 2019).
Nurses should also show patients that they understand their issues; this way, patients become more open and forthcoming with information. Those as mentioned above will reduce misunderstandings between clinicians and their clients.
Nurses meet different clients every day; each day in nursing has unique experiences. Relational inquiry helps clinicians keep up with diverse client needs. Collaborating across differences is an approach used in health care to ensure that patients’ needs are met. The model guarantees that practitioners observe client’s values, principles, and morals while sticking to the code of ethics in nursing. The components mentioned above result in quality service delivery and integrity in healthcare. Medics also set their differences aside and focus on helping their people in need of their services. Clinical cooperation helps capture patients’ diverse issues better and concentrate more on what benefits the patient (Karam et al., 2018). Just like in the given case, nurses collaborated to find a successful resolution.
The charge nurse’s actions were appropriate because she did not agree or refuse the patient’s request without consulting on what the surgery policy mandated. The nurse made the client understand that it was essential to confirm with other practitioners before a final decision. The clinician focused on what was best for the patient by observing the client’s religious values while considering legal and ethical aspects of the practice. My personal biases are always to respect patient’s wishes and values and adhere to nursing practices standards. This case is an indication of how a nurse can observe patients’ rights as well as function ethically. It is an excellent example of implementing relational inquiry in health care to achieve optimal wellbeing.
References
Kaihlanen, A. M., Hietapakka, L., & Heponiemi, T. (2019). Increasing cultural awareness: A qualitative study of nurses’ perceptions about cultural competence training. BMC Nursing, 18(1), 1-9.
Karam, M., Brault, I., Van Durme, T., & Macq, J. (2018). Comparing interprofessional and inter-organizational collaboration in healthcare: A systematic review of the qualitative research. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 79, 70-83.
Younas, A. (2020). Relational inquiry approach for developing deeper awareness of patient suffering. Nursing Ethics, 27(4), 935-945.
Zou, P. (2016). Relational practice in nursing: A case analysis. Nursing and Health care, 1(1), 1-5.