Analysis of case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of case study - Essay Example It should also be expected that being trained professionals, crew members in these large vessels are expedient enough to do some of the quotidian tasks that they are well trained for. However, it is paradoxical to note that these professionals, expected to help in the case of a disaster, actually end up causing the disasters themselves through their negligent acts. This was certainly the case with the Soaring Albatross which shall be at the center of our study in this paper. I shall endeavor to identify the legal issues and analyze them in the context of this tragedy. The first legal issue that is presented by this tragedy has to do with gross negligence. This negligence happened on three levels in the case of the Soaring Albatross. There were negligence on the part of the crew, negligence on the part of the owners, and finally negligence on the part of the authorities i.e. the Financial Services authority. All this contributed directly to the tragedy (Anon 2000). In specific, to use the words of a judge delivering a ruling on another ferry incident, the crew seemed to suffer ‘a disease of sloppiness’. In any workplace there are respective responsibilities that are assigned to each person. This might be called specialization or even more simply the division of labor. The same case applies to a ferry. First there is a captain, there is a First Officer and crew members among several other professionals who might not be very relevant to the current paper (Anon 1987). The negligence on the part of the crew is astounding. The minimum expectance on the part of the crew is to ensure that their core and basic responsibilities are tended to. These include cleaning, but even more poignant in this case, closing the bow doors. This was the responsibility of the assistant boatswain, Michael Smith. However, he was asleep when the harbor-stations call sounded. In this case, there is what is called standing in for someone when they are not able to discharge their duties as they are expected (Mandaraka-Sheppard 2001). The person who was expected to step into these shoes was Thomas Johnson. However, he failed to do so because it was not his duty. On the face of it, this seems like a plausible excuse. However, when you begin to appreciate that his decision whether to close the doors or not had a bearing on peoples a life, including his own, the folly in his decision is clear for all to see. This is indeed is a level of negligence that borders on defiance. Being the last person on the G-deck, he should first have ensured that all was catered for since he was the boatswain. However, it does not stop there. There are several hierarchies in a ferry. Before the ferry set sail, the First officer, Jane Davis, according to the law is supposed to stay on deck until all the doors are closed. She did not do this since she assumed that Michael Smith had already done so. Finally, in as far as the negligence of the crew is concerned; there is negligence on t he part of the captain. The captain assumed that all doors were secured owing to his poor vantage point, and also to the fact that the ship’s design and absence of lights at the wheelhouse made it impossible to view them. Considering the number of tragedies that have happened owing exactly to the reasons given above, the captain should at least have done his due diligence before he set off. He should have learnt from the failure of others (Hughes 1999). Next, I shall look at negligence

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing - Essay Example One of the most common strategies that have been employed in hospitals to curb this predicament is the nursing competency assessment, especially in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). This strategy is significantly striving to eliminate this deadly infection. This article will review literatures which analyze the ongoing versus annual nursing competency assessments that are aimed at decreasing the number of central line blood stream infections in the ICU. It is estimated that approximately 41,000 central line-associated bloodstream infections occur yearly in the United States alone. Research shows that these infections are liable for between 4 to 20% of the deaths that occur in the country annually. This shows that between 500 to 40,000 patients die yearly as a result of the bloodstream infections. In most health centers in the US, it is recommended that patients are grouped into the insertion bundle and the care bundle. Experts claim that combining nursing practices and technology can si gnificantly reduce these infections. Most of the hospital teams in the United States have asserted that the nursing competency assessment has significantly reduced the number of patients with bloodstream infections in the Intensive Care Unit (Harnage, 2007). This assessment usually involves educating the nurses on the best approach to employ when handling the patients with these infections. For example, they are usually taught several methods of improving hand hygiene. This measure has empowered hand hygiene as part of the Central Line placement. According to Harnage (2007), most health centers have hand hygiene dispensers which are frequently checked. The assessment of nurses, physicians and other medical personnel is usually accompanied with an annual assessment of the personnel in order to decrease the bloodstream infections in the Intensive Care Unit. This assessment involves a periodical knowledge assessment of adherence to certain guidelines involved in the Intensive Care Unit . In most cases, nurses who are competent in the care of such patients are usually situated in the Intensive Care Unit. After the assessment, these nurses are known as intensive care nurses. This shows that intensive care nurses form an integral part in reducing the bloodstream infections. Most health centers, which aim for a high level of compliance, usually ensure that they prevent such infections. Therefore, nurses should be empowered to supervise the preparations during a line insertion by using a checklist that is aimed at preventing such infections (Harnage, 2007). Hatler, Zack, Hebden and Kaler (2010), noted that it is clear that clinical nurses form an integral part in optimizing the outcomes of a patient especially through monitoring and management of the patient. The bloodstream associated infections have a severe impact on mortality and cost of care. The intensive care nurses are responsible for providing the necessary care to such patients. There are several health cente rs that have devised other strategies beyond the common Central Line bundle to reduce the number of bloodstream infection in the Intensive Care Units (Richardson & Tjoelker, 2012). Some of the institutions have included a thorough nurse surveillance system. This is a valuable strategy that aims in ensuring optimal patient outcomes. According to a recent survey, this strategy has decreased the rate of deaths in the Intensive Care Unit and the Critical Care Unit significantly. In most instances, these infections usually prolong the hospitalization of a patient to an average of seven days and an approximate cost of between $3700 and $29500 (Richardson & Tjo