Course 

NR-506NP: Healthcare Policy & Leadership

Week 2: Organizational Change and Ethical-Legal Influences in Advanced Practice

Requirements: 

You are a family nurse practitioner employed in a busy primary care office. The providers in the group include one physician and three nurse practitioners. The back-office staff includes eight medical assistants who assist with patient care as well as filing, answering calls from patients, processing laboratory results and taking prescription renewal requests from patients and pharmacies. Stephanie, a medical assistant, has worked in the practice for 10 years and is very proficient at her job. She knows almost every patient in the practice, and has an excellent rapport with all of the providers.

Mrs. Smith was seen today in the office for an annual physical. Her last appointment was a year ago for the same reason. During this visit, Mrs. Smith brought an empty bottle of amoxicillin with her and asked if she could have a refill. You noted the patient’s name on the label, and the date on the bottle was 1 week ago. You also noted your name printed on the label as the prescriber. The patient admitted that she called last week concerned about her cough and spoke to Stephanie. You do not recall having discussed this patient with Stephanie nor do the other providers in the practice.

Case Study Questions:

1.What are the potential ethical and legal implications for each of the following practice members?

• Medical assistant
• Nurse Practitioner
• Medical Director
• Practice

2.What strategies would you implement to prevent further episodes of potentially illegal behavior?

3.What leadership qualities would you apply to effect a positive change in the practice? Be thinking about the culture of the practice

ANSWER  

1.      What are the potential ethical and legal implications for each of the following practice members?

• Medical assistant:

Medical assistants are cross trained to perform only clinical and administrative duties. They don’t have prescriptive authority, Stephanie the medical assistant was practicing outside her scope of training. She has violated state and federal laws (AAMA 2019).

Ethical: Medical assistant Stephanie failed to provide Ethic of Care because she failed to provide a caring environment for the patient. Patient safety is considered an environment, when she refilled the prescription of amoxicillin, she violated patient safety because the patient could have been injured by her action. Even though her intentions were good, the outcome could have harmed the patient……please click the icon below to purchase the answer at $10