Wound Care

14 Nurse to Nurse
Remember
Provide truthful information within the scope of practice to
patients and their surrogates.
Conflict of Interest
In general, the health-care professions are thought to exist primarily
to render services to patients who need care. A conflict
of interest arises when the health-care provider has or potentially
has an interest in the patient other than the provider’s
obligation to protect and promote the patient’s interests. The
health-care provider should avoid these conflicts at all times.
For example, there should be no financial incentive to evaluating
or providing care to a patient with wounds. Such an
example would include owning stock in the product or products
that are recommended or prescribed for treatment. A conflict
of interest would also exist if the health-care provider
referred the patient to him or herself or to anyone with whom
the provider has a financial or personal relationship. Practices
such as providing bonuses at the end of the fiscal year may
also be seen as a conflict of interest. Many health-care organizations
have developed firm policies about what is determined
Remember
Examples of conflicts of interests occur when the health-care
provider recommends that the patient purchases supplies from a
medical supply company for which a referral bonus is received for
patients referred to that vendor.