Healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring that patients' rights are upheld and
protected. This is essential to delivering quality care and providing a safe and secure
environment for patients. The American Hospital Association's Patients' Bill of Rights (AHA)
outlines patients' and healthcare professionals' specific rights and responsibilities (Olejarczyk &
Young, 2019). To ensure these rights are upheld, healthcare professionals must be proactive in
educating themselves, understanding their role as advocates for their patients, and taking action
to ensure that these rights are respected.
The first step in upholding and protecting patient rights is to understand what they are
and how they apply to patient care. The AHA outlines the basic rights of patients, including the
right to receive care in a safe setting, the right to informed consent, the right to privacy, the right
to access their medical records, the right to have their preferences and needs respect, and the
right to be free from discrimination (Sookhak et al., 2019). It is essential for healthcare
professionals to have an understanding of these rights, as well as any additional rights outlined in
state and federal laws, to ensure that they are being respected.
Once healthcare professionals understand the rights of their patients, they must become
advocates to ensure that these rights are respected. This includes actively engaging in
conversations with patients to ensure that they understand their rights and have an opportunity to
express their preferences. It also involves working with other healthcare providers to ensure that
patients receive the best possible care and advocating for them if they are being treated unfairly
or their rights are being violated (Sookhak et al., 2019). Healthcare professionals should also
ensure that they are providing informed consent to patients and that any documentation
3
necessary for providing care is obtained correctly and in a manner that respects the patient's right
to privacy.
Healthcare professionals should ensure that all patient interactions are conducted
respectfully and professionally. This means that healthcare professionals should always treat
patients with respect and dignity, regardless of the patient's background or beliefs (Olejarczyk &
Young, 2019). Healthcare professionals should also ensure that all patient interactions are
conducted confidentially in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
In addition to understanding and advocating for patient rights, healthcare professionals
must take action to ensure these rights are respected. This includes having clear policies and
procedures that outline how patient rights will be respected and enforced and providing training
to staff on how to handle patient rights issues appropriately (Olejarczyk & Young, 2019). It also
involves implementing systems that allow tracking patient complaints and grievances and
developing mechanisms for responding promptly and appropriately. Finally, healthcare
professionals should be open to patient feedback and work to address any issues that arise
respectfully and collaboratively.
Conclusion
Healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring that their patients' rights are upheld
and protected. This involves understanding those rights and taking action to ensure they are
respected. This includes advocating for their patients, providing informed consent, and instituting
systems and procedures that ensure patient rights are respected. By taking these steps, healthcare
professionals can ensure that patients receive the best possible care and that their rights are
respected.
4
Reference
Olejarczyk, J. P., & Young, M. (2019). Patient Rights And Ethics.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538279/
Sookhak, F., Bazrafshan, M. R., Ahmadi, A., & Kavi, E. (2019). Nurses' level of awareness and
observance of patients' rights. Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care, 5(3), 167-174.
https://doi.org/10.32598/JCCNC.5.3.167