Reference no: EM133281950

Assignment:

Read the following and answer the questions:

As the OTR (Registered Occupational Therapist) on the case, I was measuring and documenting passive range of motion (PROM)/contractures on a dependent geriatric resident who does not get out of bed. A PT (Physical Therapist) was assisting in handling the resident while I took measurements. We noted a large discrepancy between my measurements and the earlier documented measurements by another OTR (Occupational Therapist Registered who happened to be the Occupational Therapy district manager. To us, it seemed very unlikely that the other OTR had taken accurate measurements and might have written them secondary due to lack of time. There was also a month not completed just prior to the date of my measuring the resident's PROM. The physical therapist (also the PT district manager) advised me to not mention these discrepancies to the OTR who had been responsible for these measurements. He also told me to write in the absent months' measurements and then mine with less range of motion (ROM) degrees to cover her errors and omissions. I did this upon the PT's order and was told to forget about it and not to mention it.

1. Based upon the actions taken in this case do you believe there was an error in professional judgement by the healthcare professionals?

2. Can you identify why these healthcare professionals might have assumed that their actions were professionally acceptable given the situation?

3. Do you believe that the healthcare professional's personal integrity was compromised by the error in judgement?

4. What do you think the team members could have done to address the situation presented in the case so that an error in judgement would not have compromised their professional code of ethics and patient safety?