Nursing discipline specific case study:
CONYARD–HCCC v Heather Conyard [2015] NSWNMPSC 3
Complaint of unsatisfactory professional conduct. Conditions placed on registration.
A patient who was unwell for a number of days died in hospital of septicemia. The complaint:
Failure to recognize a deteriorating patient, failure to escalate concern and obtain medical
assistance, and failure to document the assessment and plan of action for a patient in the ‘red zone’
described in the ‘Between the Flags’ policy.
Midwifery discipline specific case study:
the impaired health pathway, the performance pathway, or the conduct pathway.
How does the definition of ‘unsatisfactory professional conduct’ apply to the case study and why was the nurse or midwife in the case assessed under the conduct pathway?
. Refer to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of NSW website to identify the correct definitions.
. Read the Complaint and Applicable Law sections of the Inquiry Decision Statement for your discipline specific case study.
.State how the definition applies to the nurse or midwife.
. Write a concise statement of the factors in the case that fit the conduct pathway criteria.
Background information is available in Savage (2015) Chapter 7, legal issues for nursing students applied principles (3rd ed) Frenchs forest, Australia; Staunton and Chiarella (2013) Law for nurses and midwifes(7th ed) Chatswood, Australia
Chapter 8; Pairman et al (2015) Chapter 13. See also the Health Care Complaints Act.
. Read through the Inquiry Decision Statement.
.In your answer outline the actions or inactions by the nurse or midwife that relate to their individual professional accountability, accountability to coordinate care with others, and the limits of their individual accountability.
.Background reading on professional accountability can be found in Savage (2015) Chapter 1;
Pairman et al (2015) Chapter 12.
3 . What professional standards apply/were breached in this situation?
. Read through the NMBA codes and standards to identify (at least three) relevant statements that apply in the discipline specific case study.
. Background information is located in Chang and Dal (2016) Chapter 21.
. Provide a clear and concise rationale for your selection
.Your answer must be specific to the case study context.
. Your discussion needs to be focused and relevant to the case study. In writing your answer,
consider the level of engagement, personal attributes, knowledge base, prior clinical experience,
evidence of clinical reasoning, clinical actions, and whether the nurse or midwife involved evaluated or reflected on the care they provided.
. See Pairman et al (2015) Chapter 13 and 14, Midwifery : preparation for practice (3rd ed) Chatswood, Australia.
.Choose one aspect of care from the case study that is within the scope of practice for a new graduate nurse or midwife and reflect on what accountable actions apply.
. Read through the answer you provided to Question 2. Think about your understanding of professional accountability as it relates to the scope of practice for a new graduate.
. Your answer to this final question can be written in the first person, where appropriate, as you
are reflecting on your own preparedness for professional practice.
*Reference list and intext referencing
. List the references to the Nursing and Midwifery Council website, the NMBA
documents, and any other resources that you have discussed in support of your answers using the correct APA (6th ed.) referencing conventions.
Your answer to all questions must include relevant in text references that fit the context of your
discussion at the appropriate place in the paragraph of your text.
. The in text reference for the case study can be abbreviated as Conyard [2015]