Reference no: EM133541344

Ms Smithfield administered a child with the Inactivated poliovirus vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio (dTpa- IPV ) in January. She informed the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) that the vaccine had been given, but incorrectly stated on clinic records the vaccine given was MMR for measles, mumps and rubella. Ms Smithfield administered the IPV vaccine for a second time when the child returned to the clinic weeks later, but the MMR vaccine was never injected. The ACIR contacted the child's parents about the vaccine months later. When questioned about the discrepancy, Ms Smithfield "falsified the records of 17 patients to cover up her own mistake"."If this had not been discovered, the child would have remained unprotected against the diseases that the MMR guards against," the judgement said. "The child's parents would have been deceived into thinking that the child was properly immunised when that was not the case." A similar course of events was found to have taken place in the cases of two other children, who also had their records altered to hide the fact they had not received the MMR vaccine. In the separate case of another child, Ms Smithfield administered only half of the correct dosage of flu vaccine and again changed the patient's records to hide the error. After two adult patients suffered adverse reactions to immunisations, Ms Smithfield altered their records to reflect that she had washed her hands before administering the vaccine and asked the patients to remain at the clinic for monitoring. The clinic said it has taken steps to ensure, as far as possible, that any concerns about patient vaccines have now been followed up. Tribunal outcome Ms Smithfield has been banned from providing health services for 15 years.

Within this case study, what professional practice challenges the future registered nurses may face within the nursing practice ?