CHAPTER 2
FUNDAMENTALS OF PATIENT CARE
Twentieth century advances in the medical and
technological sciences have made a significant impact
on the methods of marketing healthcare services. The
numbers and kinds of healthcare providers have
expanded greatly.
Patients have become more
informed about both their healthcare needs and
expectations. Additionally, patients have become
more vocal, seeking answers for the “what’s” and
“why’s” of the entire spectrum of healthcare services.
The goal of this chapter is to give the Hospital
C o r p s m a n
b a s i c
t h e o r y
c o n c e r n i n g
t h e
multidisciplinary aspects of patient care. This chapter
is an introduction to some of the critical basic concepts
for providing care to individuals seeking healthcare
services.
HEALTH AND ILLNESS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize the
concepts of health and illness.
To intelligently and skillfully discharge your
duties as a member of the Navy Medical Department
healthcare team, you must first understand the
concepts of health and illness.
The concept of health includes the physical,
mental, and emotional condition of human beings that
provide for the normal and proper performance of
one’s vital functions. Not only is health the absence of
disease or disability; health is also a state of soundness
of the body, mind, and spirit. Conversely, the concept
of illness includes conditions often accompanied by
pain or discomfort that inhibit a human being’s ability
to physically, mentally, or emotionally perform in a
normal and proper manner.
In most cultures, when people need assistance in
maintaining their health, dealing with illness, or
coping with problems related to health and illness, they
seek assistance from personnel specialized in the fields
of healthcare.
Physicians, nurses, and Hospital Corpsmen are
frequently referred to as the core team. All health
personnel comprise the total healthcare team.
Obviously, individual members of the team use their
skills differently, depending upon their personal,
professional, and technical preparation and
experience.
Nevertheless—and despite the
differences in clinical expertise—they all share one
common objective: to respond to the patient’s health
needs. The overall goal of this response is to assist the
patient to maintain, sustain, and restore or rehabilitate
a physical or psychological function.
THE PATIENT
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize the
Patients’ Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
No discussion about healthcare or the healthcare
team would be complete without including the patient,
often referred to as the consumer. A patient is a human
being under the care of one or more healthcare
providers. The patient may or may not be hospitalized.
However, regardless of healthcare needs or
environmental disposition, the patient is the most
important part of the healthcare team. Without a
patient, the healthcare team has little, if any, reason for
existence.
As a Hospital Corpsman, you are tasked to provide
every patient committed to your charge with the best
care possible. This care must reflect your belief in the
value and dignity of every person as an individual.
Additionally, you must understand the patient’s rights
and responsibilities as they apply to providing and
receiving healthcare services.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has developed
standards that address the rights and responsibilities of
patients. Because the goal of JCAHO is to promote
excellence in providing healthcare services, this goal is
compatible with that of the Navy Medical Department.
The next two sections review the rights and
responsibilities of patients when they enter a
relationship with a healthcare service facility.
Students seeking additional detailed information
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