REFLECTION

Patient care refers to the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of
physical and mental well-being through services offered by health professionals. The case presented showed a
violation of the legal act, RA 9851, which pertains to the “Philippine Act on Crimes Against International
Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity”. The accused, Victorino Chua, performed a
crime which inflicted harm, even took the lives of many patients admitted in Stepping Hill Hospital in Greater
Manchester. He injected insulin to saline drip bags which were unintentionally infused to several patients, causing
insulin overdoses to patients and later on killing them. According to Sec. 2, Part f: The State shall guarantee
persons suspected or accused of having committed grave crimes under international law all rights necessary to
ensure that their trial will be fair and prompt in strict accordance with national and international law and standards
for fair trial. Also, under Sec. 6. Other Crimes Against Humanity - For the purpose of this Act, it means any of the
following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population,
with knowledge of the attack such as willful killing .
Although justice was served by having him sentenced in jail, of course it made a significant impact to the
patient’s family members who grieved due to the loss of their loved ones. Just as other professionals, nurses have
taken the oath to adhere to the ethico-legal rules generally accepted by the nursing profession. Moreover, one
important part is written in Nightingale's Pledge, "I will not do anything evil or malicious, and I will not knowingly give
any harmful drug or assist in malpractice." Based on the said case, what Chua did is not merely malpractice nor
negligence, it is intentional and considered a heinous crime.
As part of the medical field, every profession knows what is right from wrong or good from bad and
separates personal matters from work since it can affect them while working. As nurses, we must put our patients
first above anything else since it is our duty and responsibility to provide quality care to each patient. In the situation
of Victorino Chua, he did not separate his personal matters with his work on the day that the incident happened.
With his anger and frustrations, he has done an unforgivable crime that took lives under his care by poisoning them.
That’s why he was called, “angel turned evil”.
The role play that we did clearly shows how certain actions and decisions which will not do good for the
patient will significantly impact our profession. We are sure that no one wants to put their 4 years of studying and
passing the licensure exam to be put to waste just because of a fault committed in the workplace. That’s the reason
why every nurses must have a flexible and strong attitude to condition their mood and affect every time they report
for work. It must never come across our minds to inflict harm to our patients as a coping mechanism just because
we have a personal emotional problem. Providing quality and holistic care to patients is a priority in order to serve
as God’s instrument of healing and also to touch their lives at some point to alleviate their suffering and improve
their quality of life as well.