Fundamentals of Care Assignment
Cara Newport-321705
In this essay I am going to be discussing fundamentals of care along with the national policies supporting this, furthermore the importance of communication is within my role. This essay intends to provide a definition and to highlight several important professional, ethical, legal and moral responsibilities in relation to communication states Sheldon (2005). I work in my community hospital, which is a twenty bedded ward, care of the elderly. I am an Assistant Practitioner, recently developed from Health Care Assistant. I have worked at my local Hospital for ten years now. The essay is a reflection essay therefore, I will be reflecting in the past in my practice, analysing feelings, analysing actions, not looking to blame however, moving forward and looking how to improve situations, therefore I will be applying the reflection Gibbs model (2018).
There are twelve principles of fundamentals of care these include, communication, respecting people, ensuring safety, promoting independence, relationships, rest and sleep, ensuring comfort, alleviating pain, personal hygiene appearance and foot care, eating and drinking, oral health hygiene, toilet needs, preventing pressure sores. This is supported by standards of health services in wales (2010), and the fundamentals of care standards (2003). This framework was designed to support individuals to maintain good health, encouraging independence within safe practice. Therefore, the health and care standards framework are there to implement services and teams to establish this. Healthcare providers are to ensure we provide this in a person-centred care approach enabling independence and autonomy Manley K et al (2011). There will be no mention of patient’s name or staff due to confidentiality, data protection act (2018).
I am going to be explaining how there was a communication breakdown on my ward that did affect patient care. We had quite a lot of new members of staff that recently started with us in the hospital. We were very busy on the ward, in the past, new members of the team normally shadowed another member of staff to know the routine of the ward, this wasn’t managed very well due to the workload and shortage of staff. Myself was designated to work one side of the ward to make sure the patients I care for was managed. One of the new members of staff shadowed me. I explained and used my communication skills to the team member about the skin bundles with intentional rounding that must take place. Some patients are three hourly and some two hours, and it is within our code of practice to adhere in order to comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC code of conduct (2015) by preventing pressure sores. Food charts and fluid charts that need to be documented with meal times and on rounding however, the nurse in charge had asked myself if I could go and obtain some blood therefore, explained to the new member of staff if she was ok to assis...
