Vulnerable Awareness In Health Care

Vulnerable patients are those who cannot act on their own to protect themselves from threats to their health and dignity. A vulnerable patient encompasses a wide range of individuals and includes both adults and children. An adult is a person who is over 18 years of age and is described as a vulnerable patient if they are suffering from learning, physical and sensory disability. This includes disorders such as autism, cystic fibrosis and blindness and also includes sufferers of dementia. A child is a person aged less than 18 years and is described as vulnerable regardless if they have a disability. Irrespective of whether a child is living independently or in further education they are still entitled to services or protection under the Children Act (1989). A child is deemed as vulnerable as they are unable to protect themselves and this vulnerability is judged on varying factors such as, physical and emotional development, ability to communicate needs, mobility, size and dependence.
It is important for health care organisations to have policies and guidelines on the safe management of vulnerable patients in the community and hospital for health care professionals, including more specifically the perioperative environment for operating department practitioners (ODPs). This awareness of these patients, policies and guidelines is needed in order to act in a manner to protect and safeguard. Health care professionals must also have the appropriate training in caring for these vulnerable patients, for example professionals caring for children should have up to date qualifications in paediatric care and be able to communicate efficiently with the child and parent/carer. The Royal College of Nursing, RCN (2011) consider that this should a...

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...utilise preparation programmes, engage in therapeutic play and encourage active participation. Additionally the use of a family-centred approach involving the collaboration of health care professionals with both the child and parents/carers throughout the perioperative care will all contribute to assisting the child’s ability to prepare for the surgical experience. The RCN (2011) believes that multi-agency and multi-professional working is as essential now as it has ever been, and is not only pivotal in ensuring that the needs of children are met, but also in raising expectations of the high standards required to enhance the health and well being of children. Additionally, in future more research needs to be conducted to find how this care can be improved and therefore inform new policies and guidelines for the benefit of health care professionals, including ODPs.