Supporting the welfare of a patient’s family is a vital agenda in cancer care and is part of a global initiative to improve family-centered care. Working with families in such settings has been linked to improved health outcomes for patients (Zaider et al., 2016). A successful partnership means that the nurse is able to evaluate family relationships, read non-verbal communication and attend to family distress. Based on the tutorial, a change that I would introduce in my clinical practice is to address the concerns of the family in a therapeutic manner by pulling them aside and listening to their worries. By letting them know that you value their opinion, they become valuable members of the patient’s care team. Another change I would introduce in my practice would be to focus on the needs of the patient. Mrs. Longly on occasion complains about being tired and in pain but her needs are not addressed due to the distractions going on in the room. It is the nurse’s duty to make sure that the patient is comfortable and limit any potential stressors (Baer & Weinstein, 2013).
According to the Board of Nursing in Maryland, a registered nurse’s role in treating a patient’s pain is to ensure that the patient get the suitable evidence-based evaluation and intervention that treats the pain effectively and also meets the standard of care(BoardofNursing, 2001).
According to Maryland State Law, a health care agent is appointed by the principle to make healthcare decisions on their behalf (MarylandCode, 2010). It could be a colleague, a lawyer or a family member.
According to Maryland State Law, a patient being incapacitated means an adult being unable to make informed care decisions or is unable to communicate said decisions (MarylandCode, 2010).

References

Baer, L., & Weinstein, E. (2013). Improving Oncology Nurses’ Communication Skills for Difficult Conversations. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 17(3), E45-E51. doi: 10.1188/13.cjon.e45-e51

BoardofNursing. (2001). Pain Management Nursing Role/Core Competency A Guide for Nurses. Retrieved 12 March 2021, from https://mbon.maryland.gov/Documents/pain_management.pdf

MarylandCode. (2010). 2010 Maryland Code :: HEALTH – GENERAL :: TITLE 5 – DEATH :: Subtitle 6 – Health Care Decisions Act :: Section 5-601 – Definitions. Retrieved 12 March 2021, from https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/health-general/title-5/subtitle-6/5-601/

Zaider, T., Banerjee, S., Manna, R., Coyle, N., Pehrson, C., & Hammonds, S. et al. (2016). Responding to challenging interactions with families: A training module for inpatient oncology nurses. Families, Systems, & Health, 34(3), 204-212. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000159