My hospital patient is an 82- year-old woman with no immediate family. According to the provided information, she lives alone with her dog. She asked me to let her bring the dog to the hospital to accompany her.
My decision is based on Nightingale’s canons of nursing and caring. According to the canon of personal cleanliness, the patient should be kept tidy and clean (Rana, 2021). However, bringing a dog to the patient’s room may create unwanted dirtiness on the floor, bed, and other hospital equipment. Unfortunately, the hospital does not provide cleaning of the animals and cannot provide an attendant who would ensure the dog’s safety and appropriate behavior.
Another critical aspect of the problem is maintaining ventilation in the patient’s room. Based on Nightingale’s approach, the patient should be treated in conditions that do not permit any foul smell (Rana, 2021). A dog may bring an unpleasant odor to the hospital and affect other people. The hospital contains other patients who suffer from various respiratory diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis. In addition, people who are allergic to dogs may be in danger if the medical staff permits the visit. Thus, it is not advised to bring any animals to the hospital.
My final decision would be to deny the patient’s request to bring the dog to her room. My reasoning and evaluation of the situation are primarily based on Nightingale’s canons of caring. According to them, the patient’s room should be clean and free from any foul smell. However, animals can disturb the maintenance of the rules and principles. Therefore, I believe that the dog should not be brought to the patient.
Reference
Rana, A. (2021). Health in the environment: Reduce surgical site infections by applying Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 71(2), 547-549.