Nursing: Unit 1: Chapter 2: Patient Rights

Advocate

Someone who acts or speaks on behalf of another person; nurses are this to their patients and residents by protecting their rights, respect their decisions, treating with dignity, attentive to needs, promoting safety, etc.

Involuntary Seclusion

Separating a person from others against the person’s will, keeping the person to a certain area, or keeping the person away from his or her room without consent

Ombudsman

for residents

Someone who supports or promotes the needs and interests of another person (part of the Older Americans Act), specifically their welfare, health, safety, and rights. They’re useful when there’s a concern about a person’s care or treatment, or someone interferes with a person’s rights.

Representitive

Someone with legal right to act on the patient’s or resident’s behalf when the person cannot do so alone

Treatment

The care provided to maintain or restore the health, improve function, or relieve symptoms.

The Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights, and Responsibilities

This is from the American Hospital Association. The document explains that a person’s rights and expectations during hospital stays.

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)

A federal law that set minimum standards for quality of care in nursing centers in a manner and in a setting that maintains or
improves each person’s quality of life, health, and safety for residents

Right to Information

This means access to all records about the person including medical records, contracts, incident reports, and financial records. The person has a right to be fully informed of their health condition, and must have information about their doctor.

Right to Refuse treatment

A person cannot be treated without their consent and therefore has:

Advance directives are part of the right to
refuse treatment

Advance directives

These include wills and instructions about life support and are written about health care when the person is not able to make such decisions. Must report any treatment refusal to nurse

Rights to Personal Privacy

Staff must provide care in a manner that maintains privacy of the person’s body, the resident’s ability to visit others, call, and use mail privately.

Personal Choice

Residents have a right to choose their doctors, what to do, what to wear, their treatment, schedules, etc because it promotes their quality of life, self respect, and dignity.

Grievances

Residents have a right to voice concerns, questions, and complains about treatment and care.

Right to Work

Residents aren’t doing this to earn certain privileges, but instead are paid, they volunteer, and/or it’s a part of their treatment plan. They do this if they want.

Right to form and take part in resident groups

People can discuss concerns and suggest center improvements, Support each other, Plan activities, and take part in educational activities.

The right to keep and use
personal items.

Type and amount depend on space needs and the health and safety of others, but treat their property with care and respect; they may lack value to you, but have meaning to the person.

Freedom from Abuse,
Mistreatment, Neglect, and Restraint

Residents have the right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical, and mental abuse. They also have the right to be free from involuntary seclusion.
residents do not have restraints on body movements (physical and drug) and are only present for treatment if needed

Right to quality of life

Protecting this right promotes quality of life and shows respect for the person; residents must be cared for in a manner and
setting that promote dignity and respect for
self.

Activities

These enhance each person’s physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being; they must have a purpose and relate to the
person’s needs, interests, culture, and
background.

Environment

Residents have a right to a safe, clean, comfortable, and home-like setting; they’re allowed to have and use personal items which promotes personal choice.

DIG PP CARE FIT

acronym to memorize OBRA patient rights