Nursing critical incident scenario

Critically analyse the folloowing scenario using the instuctions provided.

You are a first year RN and this is your third week in the Emergency department you have been assigned to care for four patients that have been admitted to the emergency department for treatment. Three of the four patients are comfortable with stable vital signs and all are awaiting various diagnostic test results. The fourth patient is a 26 year old female Jane Travis (accompanied by her mother) presenting with persistent headaches that have been so intense she has not been able to sleep for the past two days.

The patient was seen by the medical officer and is awaiting an MRI scan. She is on full neurological observations hourly. It is time to undertake the next set of hourly neurological observations you enter the darkened cubicle and before you say anything the patient’s mother tells you that she does not want her daughter disturbed because she has finally gone to sleep. You consult the observation chart and see that the previous two sets of observations were within normal range. You decide not to wake the patient and note on the emergency chart that you were requested not to wake the patient by the mother.

It is now time for your meal break you hand over to the coordinator who says she will keep an eye on the four patients. You return from you break to find Jane’s cubicles curtain pulled you can see from the legs showing under the curtain that it is full of staff and you see the mother crying outside of the curtain. The coordinator approaches you and explains that Jane is unconscious and the medical officer wants to know why the last set of neurological observations has not been filled in?

Instructions:

Section 1: Student is required to describe all aspects of the critical incident including what should have happened/correct procedure.

Section2: Analyse what may have caused this situation to occur – identify all the players in the situation and their role. This requires the student to have critical awareness of all of the information and bring it together (synthesise) in a way that demonstrates the depth of the understanding about the incident without being too wordy

Section 3: Describe how you are to respond to the incident. Describe the action you must take

**The essay will need to have a minimum of 10 recent (5 years or less) peer reviewed articles or credible (government/lead organisation) websites.**

You should use the literature to support your ideas and response to the critical incident. Please ensure that you follow the school of Nursing & Midwifery referencing style.

Please identify in the introduction which option/scenario you have chosen. The entire essay must be no longer than 3000 words including references and tables.