Being a nurse requires more than clinical skills. It also depends on a thorough understanding of the rules and systems of the hospitals where these healers work.
Violating these mandates can end in the revocation of a nursing license. Ignorance is never an excuse for committing an infraction.
Infection controls
Medical professionals emphasize the importance of preventing the spread of infectious diseases. RNs must use proper hand hygiene and observe isolation precautions when dealing with contagious patients.
Administration of medications
Hospital policies dictate drug-dispensing procedures, including checking patient identities, verifying prescriptions and accurately recording doses. Because mistakes can be deadly, nurses must promptly report any errors.
Patient privacy and confidentiality
Nurses have to ensure that medical details are only shared with authorized individuals. Discussing sensitive matters without proper consent, even in a non-gossipy manner, may lead to disciplinary action or license revocation.
Documentation and notes
Nurses must follow strict procedures for charting patient data and other vital information. Wrong or insufficient notation sometimes leads to negative health consequences. Nursing license boards take evidence of carelessness in this area with utmost seriousness.
Periodic rests
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breaks every two hours significantly reduce nursing errors. Thus, hospitals typically enforce breathers at specific intervals. Although it can be tempting to keep chugging through these stops, caregivers need to take all assigned work pauses.
Adhering to hospital policies is mandatory for every nurse. Sticking to these orders demands careful attention, but each instruction improves the quality of care.