Reference no: EM132559556

Assignment: Part 1: 1) How does third-party payment distort the market for health care?

2) If it is so distorted why does every wealthy country insist on using third-party intermediaries to purchase health care?

3) Why do we carve out a separate payment program for our elder citizens?

Part 2: 1) In what way does managed care actually manage cost?

2) Does it do so without diminishing the quality of care? If so, how does it accomplish this?

Part 3: For the case scenario:

1) Discuss the standard(s) of care that the parties will be held to in this case.

2) How will the standards of care and the Nurse Practice Act for your state (Florida) be applied in a court of law if the case is sued?

Case Scenario: SK, age 61, was admitted to the hospital. Because of understaffing of nurses in the hospital, her assigned RN did not assess her often enough and did not monitor her oxygen level.

SK went to the hospital with what she thought was a bad cold, and was admitted with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Following admission, she became increasingly feverish and short of breath, but her family's calls for help went unanswered. In fact, her daughter was unable to find anyone when she went to the nurses' station looking for help. The patient eventually stopped breathing, and someone finally responded to the family's desperate and frantic calls for help. SK was successfully resuscitated, but sustained brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. She was left unable to walk, talk, or care for herself.

There were 41 other patients on this unit. Although the hospital's own staffing standards called for 5 registered nurses and 2 licensed practical nurses to staff this unit, only 3 registered nurses were on duty. Records for the unit in question indicated that the hospital failed to meet its own staffing standards for 51 out of 59 days before this incident.

Part 4: After reviewing the ANA position statement on "Rights of Registered Nurses when Considering a Patient Assignment"

1) Discuss the legal and ethical implications of accepting assignments.

2) When delegating assignments to unlicensed personnel, what considerations need to be considered?

3) What insurance issues come into play?

4) Analyze the legal principle of Respondeat Superior.