The Right Knee: Article Analysis

“The Right Knee Commentary” by Kaplan (2013) reminded me of a personal experience in 2010, as a nurse and a patient, when I sought medical care due to suffering from severe headaches and an overwhelming lack of energy. Passed from one physician to another while undergoing 12 months of multiple diagnostics such as spinal taps, lab work, imaging, a failed thyroid biopsy, and a parathyroidectomy, I was diagnosed with bilateral lobe thyroid cancer. The endocrinologist failed to listen to my request for a pain free, lasting life because she believed, and verbalized I was a nurse fabricating symptoms (Kaplan, 2013). I went through two surgeries and the cancer spread to both thyroid lobes. My life was compromised, and I suffered through needless pain, helplessness, untimely medical care, and wasteful medical expenses (Kaplan, 2014). The doctor apologized. Will the doctor gain …show more content…
An example of a poor working condition is long term staff shortage which can cause job dissatisfaction, and physical and psychological exhaustion which directly effects patient care (Pavlish et al., 2016). For instance, nurse burnout is unequivocally related to an increase in hospital acquired infections (Pavlish et al., 2016). As important as a nurse and patient, or a doctor and patient relationship, the nursing leaders’ need to identify their own behavior to support the staff nurses (Pavlish et al., 2016). And, nurse leaders’ must be willing to change the way they think by seeing themselves as their staff and patients walking in their shoes (Kaplan, 2014). When leaders’ recognize the root cause of patient and staff distress, and positively engage the healthcare unit, patients and staff are empowered to make decisions that protect their moral integrity which results in high quality and safe patient