Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
It’s never ok to turn people away
11 May 2011
It’s never ok to turn people away
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) and the College of Emergency Nurses are very concerned to hear comments made by Dr Branko Sijnja that emergency departments should “start turning people away if they turn up at the emergency department with minor ailments”.
NZNO professional nursing advisor, Suzanne Rolls says that it is unsafe and unethical to send patients away from emergency departments untreated. “There are many reasons why people present at the emergency department; as nurses, we are there to provide healthcare to patients where and when they need it.”
“The theme of tomorrow’s International Nurses Day is ‘Closing the Gap: increasing access and equity in health’ and we will strenuously resist any move that decreases access or equity to healthcare.”
“Nurses have both a professional and ethical responsibility to address health inequities by advocating for accessible, affordable, culturally appropriate health care, regardless of ethnicity, income, education or location. It is disheartening to hear other health professionals espousing the opposite view,” Rolls says.
ENDS
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