Case Study: Emergency in the Factory
Thompson Brothers Steel is a medium-sized regional steel manufacturing factory. The factory has a small health clinic staffed with a part-time occupational physician and a full-time master’s-level occupational health nurse. The occupational health nurse assists the doctor when he is present, and the rest of the time the nurse runs health and safety programs, performs screenings, and certifies that the employees are up-to-date on their safety training certifications. The doctor diagnoses and treats work-related injuries, educates the employees, and sees anyone not feeling well on the day that he is present. Mr. Jackson is a 29-year-old employee who came to the factory’s clinic complaining of abdominal pain. He stated that he has been in pain for the past couple of days, but in the past couple of hours the pain has become intolerable. The findings of the examination were dull pain in the upper abdomen that became sharp as it moved to the lower right abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, significant abdominal swelling, and a fever of 102° F. The doctor suspects that Mr. Jackson has appendicitis and that his appendix is at high risk of rupturing. The doctor asks the nurse to call for an ambulance, but Mr. Jackson insists he wants to drive himself to the hospital. Because the doctor is concerned Mr. Jackson’s pain may impair his driving, he insists the patient should not drive. Mr. Jackson agrees to call his wife to transport him to the hospital. The nurse calls the emergency room to alert them to Mr. Jackson’s arrival.
Discussion Questions
- Identify positive examples of Interprofessional Collaboration in this case study.
- Identify the Core Competencies or Sub-competencies that you see demonstrated.
- What specific issues are most apparent to you?
- Identify the appropriate Core Competency and its corresponding Sub-competencies that would be helpful in resolving this issue.
- Describe how you would apply the identified Sub-competencies to resolve this issue.
