| Course | HA400 Health Care Ethics, Law, and Governance |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 8 |
| Paper type | Policy proposal |
| Length | About 900 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Care Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HA400 Unit 8
A Twelve-Year-Old Interpreting His Mother's Surgical Consent: A Policy Proposal and Language Access Policy for a Composite Hospital Outpatient Surgery Center, Written So a Charge Nurse Can Apply It at Registration, Consent and Discharge
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HA400: Health Care Ethics, Law, and Governance
Unit 8 Policy Proposal
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The surgery center, the incident and the cost figures are composite and bracketed; the policy is a course model and not legal advice for any organization.
Part 1: Proposal
The Incident
On [date], a Spanish-speaking woman arrived for a laparoscopic gallbladder removal with her twelve-year-old son. The registration clerk marked "interpreter: no" because the son was translating. In the preoperative area, the surgeon explained the risks and the son translated. After surgery, the son translated the discharge instructions, including pain medication doses. Two days later, the mother called the clinic, confused about when to take her medication, and the problem came to light.
The Gap
The center has a contract for telephone and video interpretation but no written policy. Staff decide case by case whether to use it, and the registration form treats any family member as an interpreter. No one checks whether the person interpreting is an adult or trained.
Legal Footing
Because the hospital takes Medicare and Medicaid payments, the federal rule implementing Section 1557 applies to the surgery center. It requires free, qualified interpretation for patients who need it, limits when a companion adult may interpret, and allows a child to interpret only in an emergency while a qualified interpreter is being found (45 C.F.R. § 92.201, 2024). The center's current practice does not meet that rule.
Ethical Case
Informed consent requires that the patient understand the procedure, its risks and alternatives. A child cannot be expected to translate surgical risks accurately, and a mother may not ask the questions she would ask through a neutral interpreter. Studies of medical interpretation have found that untrained interpreters, including family members, make more errors with possible clinical consequences than trained interpreters (Flores et al., 2003), and a systematic review linked trained interpreters to fewer errors, better understanding and better clinical results (Karliner et al., 2007). A child interpreting his mother's surgical risks is not a language solution; it is a consent that no one can show was informed.
Cost
Of roughly [4,200] cases a year, about [9] percent involve a patient whose preferred language is not English. At an average of [25] minutes of video interpretation per patient across registration, consent and discharge, at about [$2.00] a minute, the annual cost is roughly [$19,000]. The center already pays for the contract; the change increases use, not fixed costs.
Staff Views
The charge nurses and registration clerks interviewed for this proposal said the main barrier is time: connecting a video interpreter takes [two] to [four] minutes, and a family member is already in the room. Two nurses said they did not know the contract covered discharge teaching. The policy and training answer both points.
Recommendation
Adopt the policy below, train staff within [60] days and audit compliance monthly for six months.
Part 2: Policy
Language Access for Patients With Limited English Proficiency
Policy number: [OSC-PC-014] Effective date: [date] Approved by: [Director, Outpatient Surgery]; [Compliance Officer]
Purpose
To make sure every patient who prefers a language other than English can understand and take part in decisions about their care.
Scope
All staff at the outpatient surgery center, at every point of care.
Definitions
Qualified interpreter: an interpreter who has shown proficiency in both languages, interprets accurately and impartially and knows medical terms and ethics. Preferred language: the language the patient says they prefer for health care conversations.
Policy Statement
The center provides qualified interpreters at no cost to any patient who prefers a language other than English. Family members, friends and minors are not used as interpreters, except as stated below.
Procedure
At registration:
1. Ask every patient, "What language do you prefer for talking about your health care?"
2. Record the answer in the preferred language field.
3. If the answer is not English, connect a qualified interpreter by video or phone for the rest of registration.
At consent:
4. The surgeon or anesthesia provider explains the procedure through a qualified interpreter.
5. Record the interpreter's identification number on the consent form.
At discharge:
6. Give instructions through a qualified interpreter and provide written instructions in the patient's language when available.
7. Use teach-back through the interpreter to confirm understanding.
Exceptions:
8. If a patient declines a qualified interpreter and asks an adult companion to interpret, offer the qualified interpreter again, record the patient's choice and keep the qualified interpreter on the line for consent and discharge.
9. A minor may interpret only in an emergency when no qualified interpreter is available, and only until one is connected.
Responsibilities
Registration staff: ask and record the preferred language. Nurses and providers: use qualified interpreters at consent and discharge and record their numbers. Charge nurse: resolve problems connecting an interpreter and report any use of a minor. Director: monitor compliance and report to the quality committee.
Monitoring
Each month, review [20] records where the recorded preferred language is not English, checking that an interpreter's number is recorded at consent and discharge. Report results to the quality committee.
Review
Revisit this policy at least every second year, and sooner if the federal rules change.
References
45 C.F.R. § 92.201 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-92.201
Flores, G., Laws, M. B., Mayo, S. J., Zuckerman, B., Abreu, M., Medina, L., & Hardt, E. J. (2003). Errors in medical interpretation and their potential clinical consequences in pediatric encounters. Pediatrics, 111(1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.1.6
Karliner, L. S., Jacobs, E. A., Chen, A. H., & Mutha, S. (2007). Do professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited English proficiency? A systematic review of the literature. Health Services Research, 42(2), 727-754. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6773.2006.00629.x
What the HA400 Unit 8 assignment asks for
Unit 8 typically gives students an incident and asks for a written proposal that fixes the gap behind it with policy language. Instructions often require a description of the problem, the legal and ethical basis for change, the costs and the policy text itself, using a standard template with purpose, scope, definitions, procedure and responsibilities. Many prompts want the policy written in directive language staff can follow. Support the argument with the governing regulation and research on the problem, cited in APA format, use a composite organization and keep the case for change apart from the policy text. A policy a charge nurse could apply without asking questions is usually the goal.
How the HA 400 Unit 8 example is put together
The sample's first part describes the incident and the gap in current practice. The legal paragraph cites the federal Section 1557 rule on interpreters, and the ethics paragraph cites studies of interpretation errors and of professional interpreters. The highlighted sentence says a child interpreting surgical risks is not a language solution. A cost estimate, staff views and a recommendation follow, with a margin note on the timeline. The second part gives the policy on a template: purpose, scope, definitions, statement, nine procedure steps across registration, consent and discharge, exceptions, responsibilities, monitoring with a margin note and a two-year review.
HA400 Unit 8 rubric: what earns full points
Policy proposal rubrics in HA 400 usually award points for defining the problem, establishing the legal and ethical basis, estimating costs, writing clear policy text, assigning responsibilities, planning monitoring, citing sources and formatting. Problem points depend on a concrete incident and the gap behind it. Basis points reward a correct reading of the federal rule and the consent ethics behind it. Cost points require a reasoned estimate. Policy points reward directive steps staff can follow. Responsibility points go to named roles. Monitoring points need a measure and a schedule. Source points require regulation and research. Format points cover the template. Proposals that keep the argument and the policy in separate voices often earn top marks, since each serves a different reader.
HA400 Unit 8 help from the desk
Students often lose points by writing a policy that reads like an essay, full of reasons and short on steps. Another gap is a proposal with no cost estimate. Some papers cite the law but never explain what it requires. Others forget exceptions, which staff need most. Write the proposal as an argument and the policy as instructions, number the steps, define terms, name who does what and add a way to check compliance. Then test the policy by imagining a busy registration desk. If staff would still need to ask what to do, the policy needs another step. Finally, add a monitoring measure leaders can check each month.
Get an HA400 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
Tell us the policy topic your Unit 8 prompt sets, or the problem you would like addressed, and include the instructions and rubric. You receive a proposal and the policy text on a standard template, each step assigned to a role, within 24-48h. The first sample is free, and the draft makes no claim to satisfy any regulator. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More HA400 papers and BS in Health Care Administration samples
- HA400 Unit 1: Law, Ethics and Governance Post
- HA400 Unit 2: Drug Shortage Ethics Case Analysis
- HA400 Unit 3: Agency Nurse Liability Analysis
- HA400 Unit 4: Capacity and Refusal Rights Analysis
- HA400 Unit 5: Home Health Compliance Plan
- HA400 Unit 6: Board Quality Oversight Memo
- HA400 Unit 7: Implant Conflict of Interest Analysis
- HA400 Unit 9: Seminar Reflection
- HA400 Unit 10: Integrated Case Study
- HA255 Unit 8: EVS Compensation Analysis
HA400 Unit 8 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HA400 Unit 8 sample paper?
This page has the full HA400 Unit 8 policy proposal and language access policy for a composite outpatient surgery center, written after a child interpreted his mother's consent, with three sources. You can propose another policy on the same template.
When may a minor interpret under the HA400 Unit 8 policy?
Federal rules allow a minor to interpret only in an emergency when no qualified interpreter is available, and only until one is found.
What is a qualified interpreter?
A person who has shown proficiency in both languages and interprets accurately and impartially using medical terms.
What is Section 1557?
The nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act, whose rules require language assistance in federally funded health programs.
What sections does the HA400 Unit 8 policy include?
Purpose, scope, definitions, policy statement, procedure, exceptions, responsibilities, monitoring and review.