Brief task description:
Students are to read a coronial case report and then conduct a critical analysis of key Quality and Safety concepts within the case. Comprehensive details of the required task can be found in the ‘Task Information’ section of this document and the assignment marking rubric provided on the course study desk under ‘Assessments’. The case to be analysed is the Non-inquest findings into the death of Hunter, an eight year old boy.
Students are to use current and relevant Australian literature to support the analysis and should specifically link supporting literature to the case. With a focus on risk, the analysis should include patient assessment, recognition of deterioration and team communication provided from the Registered Nurses within their scope of practice whilst caring for SM.
Part 1
Students are to conduct a critical analysis of the case referencing key pieces of information/examples specifically from the case and using contemporary literature to support the analysis. This focused analysis should specifically relate to the Registered Nurse’s role in identifying risk, patient assessment, recognition and escalation of deterioration and team communication within their scope of practice whilst caring for Hunter
1. The analysis should commence with a discussion from the case to highlight patient risks and missed opportunities from the perspective of a Registered Nurse with a focus on the specific and holistic care of paediatric patients and their families, advocacy, and effective communication when escalating patient care.
2. Students should include a discussion on the types of ongoing comprehensive and holistic Nursing assessments considered important when caring for Hunter. Note that in the initial stages Hunters CEWT score was zero (vital sign changes can come later in paediatric deterioration as children have good compensatory mechanisms), so you need to consider and discuss what other clinical indicators were indicative of clinical deterioration in this case.
3. The analysis of this case should use pertinent literature regarding concepts of holistic patient assessment, advocacy, human factors, and effective team communication (both written and verbal) and the implications of these on effective decision- making and care provision in the case of Hunter.
4. Students must provide a synopsis of innovative strategies that could be implemented to risk mitigate missed opportunities found in the case. These must relate to and demonstrate knowledge of the Registered Nurse’s responsibility and accountability when caring for paediatric patients. Specifically in this discussion students should consider the National Safety and Quality in Healthcare Standard – Partnering with Consumers Standard and reflect upon ‘if the health service were to work with Hunters family what strategies (other than those recommended by the QLD Coroner) could they put in place to prevent another similar incident occurring?’
Students need to demonstrate synthesis of published material within the student’s own analysis to demonstrate appropriate understanding. The analysis must be supported by relevant and contemporary literature including journal articles and relevant legislative and health policy and guideline documents. It is expected that a minimum of 8 journal articles will be used.
