Choosing a health care proxy before a person gets ill is an important choice and a guarantee that the closest person of your choice will be able to make medical decisions on your behalf when the need arises (Stoler, 2017). On the other hand, a health care agent should be in a comfortable position to stand by your side, asking doctors for clarification and be able to make critical decisions concerning your health condition without hesitation or being emotionally driven. In this instance, the patient brought to the hospital in the company of her sister is intellectually disabled; hence cannot ascertain the claims of the sister. However, as a head nurse in the department, I would allow the patient to execute another health care proxy based on her demonstration of care to the patient.

For a person to execute a health care proxy, the doctor must affirm that the patient in question is not able to make decisions on their own. An intellectually disable patient is not able to make decisions on their own therefore they are eligible to have a health care proxy. As a head nurse, it is important to go through the medical records of the patient and affirm the credibility of her sisters claim, who must be eighteen years of age or above. Besides, the patient and the health care agent are related by blood, and maybe the parents or other siblings can attest to her claims.

In this case, the sister is the only person aware of the patient’s condition and wishes; in case of medical administration, the doctor must consult with the health care agent. The sister cares about the health condition of the patient, and even when the health care proxy form was lost, she came in person to request for another one accompanied with the patient. As a medical practitioner, the well-being of the patient comes first. When the sister is denied the HCP form, the condition of the patient might deteriorate further.

Similarly, as a medical nurse, I should provide quality assurance to my patients through preventing, detecting and, correcting their condition (Donaldson and Lohr, n.d.). Preventing entails providing medical practices that correspond to the structure of the patient’s condition and can produce beneficial results. Providing an HCP form assures that the patient can receive medical attention as per their wishes. Then follows detecting the existing problem and, an analysis of the quality of medical attention the patient has received under the care of her sister. This involves a systematic analysis of the process of care to help capture complications in the patient’s condition (Reslock, 2017). When I am certain of the sister’s claims, I correct the issue by issuing the patient another health care proxy so that the sister can be able to fulfill their wishes.

In summary, issuing a health care proxy to the sister is the best idea as a healthcare practitioner. Firstly, the sister has demonstrated values in caring for the patient’s health by driving them to a health facility to request for another form. The sister feels the need to fulfill the wishes of her sick sister and does not want to abandon her. Secondly, the sister is aware of the condition of the patient and responds quickly when the form is lost and does not wait until the condition worsens to request another one. A person executing a health care proxy does not necessarily have to be a family member. However, in this case, the patient has proven to be a responsible health care agent.

References

Donaldson, M. S. and, Lohr, K. N. (n.d.) Medicare: A Strategy for Quality Assurance. NCBI. Retrieved 06 April 2019 from, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235468/

Reslock, D. (2017). Why You Need A Health Care Proxy and How to Choose One. The PBS Website. Retrieved 06 April 2019 from, https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2017/06/02/why-you-need-a-health-care-proxy-and-how-to-choose-one/#4a2297076e77

Stoler, D.R. (2017). The Resilient Brain: What is a Health Care Proxy and Do You Need It. Psychology today.