...Professional Moral Compass Ethics, a branch of philosophy refers to the values for human conduct, considering the rightness and wrongness of actions and motives. As nursing profession is an integral part of the health care environment, the nursing ethics provides the insight to the values and ethical principles governing nursing practice, conduct, and relationships. The Code of Ethics for Nurses, adopted by the American Nurses' Association (ANA) is intended to provide definite standards of practice and conduct that are essential to the ethical discharge of the nurse's responsibility (American Nurses Association, 2012). A nurse cultivates personal ethics through personal, cultural and spiritual values which becomes a moral compass for their professional ethics. Personal ethics in combination with the code of ethics often assist the nurses in personal and social decision making during ethical dilemma. This ability prompts them to better respond to needs of the suffering patient and their own well-being. This paper will discuss the personal, cultural, and spiritual values contributing to nurses’ individual worldview and philosophy of nursing and the moral and ethical dilemma being faced in this profession. Values Contributing to Individual’s Worldview and Philosophy of Nursing Born in a Christian middle class South Indian family, the strict traditional values helped to embed the concept of service, trust, respect, integrity and responsibility through family, friends, education...
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...Code of Ethics Paper A code of ethics is a document that serves as a foundation for the profession or health care specialty, providing ethical guidance. Nursing is a very reputable profession, and as a nurse, it is vital that I provide safe, compassionate, and competent nursing care. It is expected that all nurses carry out their responsibilities and tasks while respecting all patients’ rights and sensitivities. That is why it is so important that nursing care be guided by a code of ethics. For this paper, I have chosen to analyze and discuss the contents of the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses, also referred to as The Code within the nursing profession. I will clarify the goals of The Code and identify ethical principles, including grievance procedures. I will then discuss my personal opinion of The Code, including recommendations for strengthening weak areas within the written code. Nurses Code of Ethics According to the American Nurses Association (2011), “The Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession” (para. 1). All nurses regardless of position or specialty practice nursing under this code. As health care changes and advances, nurses struggle with advanced and complicated ethical dilemmas. Nurses need the ethical support and guidance provided by The Code, and every nurse has an obligation to uphold...
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...CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES WHEREAS, the Board of Nursing (BON) has the power to promulgate a Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses in coordination and consultation with the accredited professional organization (Sec. 9, (g), Art III of (Republic Act) No. 9173, known as the “Philippine Nursing Act of 2002); WHEREAS, in the formulation of the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the Code of Good Governance for the Professions in the Philippines was utilized as the principal basis thereof: All the principles under the said Code were adopted and integrated into the Code of Ethics as they apply to the nursing profession; WHEREAS, the promulgation of the said Code as a set of guidelines, regulations or measures shall be subject to approval by the Commission (Sec. 9, Art. II of R.A. No. 9173); and WHEREAS, the Board, after consultation on October 23, 2003 at Iloilo City with the accredited professional organization of registered nurses, the Philippine Nurses Association, Inc. (PNA), and other affiliate organizations of Registered Nurses, decided to adopt a new Code of Ethics under the afore-mentioned new law; NOW, THERFORE, the Board hereby resolved, as it now resolves, to promulgate the hereunder Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses: ARTICLE I PREAMBLE SECTION 1. Health is a fundamental right of every individual. The Filipino registered nurse, believing in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognizes the primary responsibility to preserve health at all cost. This responsibility...
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...Nightingale to Now: The Evolution of Nursing and Nursing Theory Student Name Professor Name Course Name and Number School Name Date The profession of nursing has come a long way in the past century. In the 1880s nurses had a reputation as being “drunken, dishonest, and disreputable” (Hoyt, 2010); today, Americans rank nursing as the most ethical profession in the field of health care (Hoyt, 2010). Florence Nightingale was single-handedly responsible for changing not just the way nursing is conducted, but also changing public perception of the nursing profession. In the years since Nightingale established nursing as a serious and legitimate profession, many theories have been developed that continue to codify and define what nursing is and how nurses can best serve their patients. At the core of all these theories remains the most important concept Nightingale established: nurses must have a “single eye to the patient’s good” (Hoyt, 2010). The foundational paradigm of Nightingale’s approach to nursing was strict adherence to a code of ethics. Nightingale insisted that her students be “sober and truthful” (Hoyt, 2010) and that they treat patients in an ethical manner. Nightingale instructed...
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...ETHICS IN NURSING Ethics: Are a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality; that is, about concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong, justice and virtue. Moral principles in health ethics: Autonomy: is the process of including clients in their health care decisions. * Informed Consent Beneficence: is the act of taking positive action to help others, it encourages people to do good for others and working in the best interest of the clients. * Performing a task for a patient that otherwise is not necessary but makes the client feel more at ease. For example crushing their pills in applesauce, at their request, even though they are perfectly capable of swallowing. Nonmaleficence: this involves the avoidance of hurt or harm to an individual. When referencing health care it refers to the will to do well as well as to do no harm. A good health care professional will balance the risks and benefits to ensure the best path of care for their patient. * Considering the associated discomfort or pain associated with a procedure that is designed to treat the patient. For example, radiation is designed to help treat cancer, but does have side effects that are undesirable. Justice: in simple terms it means fairness; in health care providers strive for fairness in medical treatment. Justice most often arises in discussion of health care resources. * Fair distribution of organs. Because the number of recipients outweighs the number of...
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...NUR 478 Susan Lawson, RN, MS, CLNC July 18, 2010 Professional Ethics Paper The purpose of this paper is to describe the relationships between legal and ethical issues, identify personal values and professional ethics, examine ethical theories and principles, and apply these to current practice examples. Nurses face an ever-growing complexity within their practice as professionals. Understanding the relationship between legal and ethical issues and how to apply that understanding to every day practice is paramount for today’s professional nurse. This paper will further explore these ethical theories and principles while discussing how personal values affect an individual’s nursing practice. The Relationship Between Legal and Ethical Issues Nurses, as with any job, face challenges in order to accomplish the tasks of their role. This is one of the reasons that it is important to have a description that serves as guidance as to how the role is to be accomplished. Without such guidelines, it is likely that there will be a breach of established rules along the way to performing duties and accomplishing the job duties. In situations where one person exercises authority over another, there are important guidelines that define relationship between the two parties. Legal and ethical principles define how a job is to be carried out and how individuals are to relate to one another. Legal and professional ethics define the liability of the person that is...
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...Introduction Ethics are the principles that guide an individual, group, or profession in conduct and also it is a theory that analyses the differences between right and wrong. Nurses are not only expected to comply to their professional morals and values, but are also encouraged to comply to their own personal ethics as well. The code of ethics (ANA 2001) advises nurses on ethical and legal responsibility to their own patients, as well as the community in which they serve. In today's health care system nurses are faced with many ethical issues in their daily task and they have to make clear and logical ethical choices of their own. These ethical choices are generally inspired by ethical doctrines that include beneficence, confidentiality, autonomy, fidelity, veracity, and other (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p53). Nursing is a noble profession and I enjoy most about being a nurse is simply caring, helping and nurturing people. In addition, I also thank God for giving me this opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, whether that is done by providing care, teaching, or even supporting a family. Personal, cultural and spiritual Values According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), a nurse's primary responsibility is to attend their patients, and be able to respect the patient's customs, values, beliefs, and rights. In addition, nurses should choose to extend their education because they are held accountable for their own practice. Nurses should practice cooperating...
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...guidance for nursing as many other professions. Although there are authentic international codes of ethics for nurses, the national code would be the additional assistance provided for clinical nurses in their complex roles in care of patients, education, research and management of some parts of health care system in the country. A national code can provide nurses with culturally-adapted guidance and help them to make ethical decisions more closely to the Iranian-Islamic background. Given the general acknowledgement of the need, the National Code of Ethics for Nurses was compiled as a joint project (2009–2011). The Code was approved by the Health Policy Council of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and communicated to all universities, healthcare centers, hospitals and research centers early in 2011. The focus of this article is on the course of action through which the Code was compiled, amended and approved. The main concepts of the code will be also presented here. No doubt, development of the codes should be considered as an ongoing process. This is an overall responsibility to keep the codes current, updated with the new progresses of science and emerging challenges, and pertinent to the nursing practice. Keywords: Nursing ethics, Ethical code, Healthcare ethics, Professionalism, Patient’s right Introduction Nurses are responsible to provide their clients/patients with the high-quality care. They are undoubtedly confronted with various ethical challenges in...
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...Nursing Research Nursing is often incorrectly regarded as a subset of the medical profession; in reality, the profession of Nursing is a unique, distinct science with its own knowledge base and skillset. In accordance with the requirements of a scientific profession, there is a need for scholarly inquiry and nursing research in order to maintain autonomy and distinction of the Nursing perspective separate from other disciplines. An editorial published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship noted that “the distinguishing feature of a profession is how its practitioners use knowledge to make a difference” (Hegyvary, 2007). The evidence generated by Nursing scholars influences global health initiatives and policy worldwide. The need for field wide scholarly inquiry, the application of rigorous scientific standards to research, and the importance of stringent ethical and legal protection for research subjects has been the subject of numerous articles, books, and papers. The Nursing Profession has a responsibility to engage in scholarly research for many reasons that will be discussed in depth within this paper. Importance of Nursing Research to the Nursing Profession As noted in the introduction, in order to maintain its status as a unique, autonomous profession, Nursing as a field must continually refine and expand its scientific knowledge base. The AACN position statement summarizes the importance of research to the profession by stating “The essence of a discipline is...
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...Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Nursing as a profession, holds itself to a standard of practice and a code of ethics that governs this discipline. It was well put by Nicholson (2012), “Nonprofessionals cannot be held to the standards of the medical professions, but persons who have been specially trained, educated and licensed are accountable for performance that deviates from the customs of their field.” To function effectively, nurses need to be aware of their contents and incorporate them as a guide for their professional decisions. “A wise nurse who is aware of deep personal values and moral standards will make decisions regarding practice setting so that the nurse’s own personal integrity remains intact, while putting patients and their needs first” (Chitty & Black, 2010, p. 101). A person’s value system is initiated by the beliefs held by his or her family, and as growing occurs the person is exposed to other cultures, belief systems, peers, and societal norms, that may be incorporated into his or her value system. A nurse is expected to make ethical decisions. Having the ability to make ethical and responsible reasoning, involves rational thinking. It is also systematic and based on ethical principles and civil law. Ethical decision making can’t be based on emotions, intuition, fixed policy, or an earlier occurrence. (Blias & Harris, 2011, p. 61). A nurse is not exempt from developing values, and belief systems that shape how they may view their patient...
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...My Nursing Practice Analysis Nursing has been a significant part of my life for more than 31 years. During my career, I have taken care of thousands of patients, and knowing that I have been a part of a patient’s healing process and grieving process is satisfying. The American Nurses Association (ANA) (2010) states, “The art of nursing is based on caring and respect for human dignity” (p. 23). As a nurse, respecting my patient’s dignity is part of my role. I am upholding the ethical values set by the ANA by respecting the dignity of my patients with respect to his or her medical and personal decisions concerning treatment. ANA (2010) provision seven states, “The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development” (Fowler, p. 143). I have an obligation as a nurse to be actively involved in health policy and with organizations that engage in community activities such as volunteering for free health clinics and free medical care for the underprivileged. I have an obligation as a nurse to become a mentor in my community. I would like to educate my community on the importance and ramifications of unhealthy eating and its effect on a person’s health. I would also attend state and budgetary meetings and provide testimony on the benefits of healthy eating and the health care problems that unhealthy eaters face, and assist those who do not have the funds to eat healthy. According to ANA (2010)...
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...Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing NUR/391 Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing As nurses, it is our duty to advocate for our patients. At times, we are faced with personal and professional challenges that impact how and when we chose to advocate. It is imperative we have a healthy awareness of these potential challenges. Improvements in health care technology have provided patients with an array of treatment options as well as assumed or possible increased chance of survival. As a result, nurses are met with a rise in ethical decision making. This paper will discuss the legal, ethical, social, and personal factors that can impact our decision making process, with the focus on two specific case studies. American Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics Role in Practice The American Nursing Association (ANA) has created a set of ethical standards for the profession of nursing to abide by, which is entitled the ANA Nursing Code of Ethics. The ANA Code of Ethics states that collaboration is central to the care nurses deliver and to their ethical commitment to the patient (Garity, 2005). In the end-of-life case study, the nurse (she) has an unwritten obligation to the patient; the family appears to be in conflict with how to proceed with the patient's medical treatment. The medical team has an obligation to give the family all of their options and possible outcomes. If the family remains in conflict, it would then be appropriate for her to refer the family to...
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...Individual Analysis Standards of Nursing Nursing is a multi-faceted and evolving profession defined by the American Nurses Association (ANA) as, “The protection, promotion, and optimization of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human responses, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities and population” (ANA, 2010, p.1). Standards of nursing care set by the ANA include standards of care, code of ethics, and professional standards. The standards set forth by the ANA help to define the scope of nursing practice. For the purpose of this paper, I will further detail how these standards affect my professional nursing care. Nursing professionals are obligated and expected to practice within the scope and standards of nursing care. Within my own scope of practice, I follow the standards of care on a daily basis. I am assessing patients, planning patient care, implementing, and evaluating the outcomes of patient care. My facility has outlined standards of care. By following these policies and procedures, I can commit to safe nursing practice. Nursing professionals are also obligated and expected to adhere to the standards of professional performance. Within my own nursing practice, I am expected to provide nonjudgmental care, therefore I must disrequard my own prejudices and be an advocate for the patient no matter the patient’s race, economic status, disease process, or chosen lifestyle. The nursing professional is also responsible to...
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...Perceptualizing the Profession In the health care field, there is ongoing debate on subjects such as health care reform, ethical dilemmas, and ideals regarding nursing as a profession. Those debating the issue are generally passionate about their stance on regarded topics. Some teeter or straddle the fence, while others have no opinion or just do not care. The view of nurses in the workforce has fueled discussions on how nursing is categorized in terms of perception: Is nursing an occupation or is it a profession? In the Oxford Dictionary (US) online (2014), the word profession is defined as “a paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and formal qualifications.” A precise definition has been debated among scholars since the beginning of the 1900’s and was historically reserved for learned professions such as law, ministry, medicine and educators of higher learning (Williams, Onsman, & Brown, 2009). It is interesting to note, as society has changed, so has the term, profession, in its application. There are professions such as athletes or actors and actresses who have coined the term profession, which only serves to further distort the public’s perception and acceptance. This perceptual view varies across geographical, cultural and historical milieu. In an effort to understand nursing as a profession and where it may be in the future, one must return to its very beginning. Regardless of the blurred edges, the criteria of a profession have evolved...
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...Mentorship Competency The success of any nursing student in any program in any clinical setting is multi-faceted enhancing the complicated nature of education and the perception of competencies whether student or educator. This is an important concept to be sensitive to as the process of moving forward with the knowledge and skill-sets needs to be supported and nurtured in order to facilitate the standard of care that is safe, accountable, and competent. The expectations of students within academia and within the staff mix on units can vary giving students a sense of role ambiguity diminishing the sense of belonging and taking away from the clinical learning experience. According to Higgins, Lathlean, Levett-Jones, & McMillan (2009),“Nursing students’ motivation and capacity to learn, self-concept, confidence, the extent to which they are willing to question or conform to poor practice and their future career decisions are influenced by the extent to which they experience belongingness (p.316).”Acceptance by senior and experienced nurses plays a pivotal role in the development of self-concept and application of theoretical perspectives into practice. Negative experiences with staff are detrimental to the learning process by creating environments of stress, anxiety, and an overall feeling of un-acceptance by staff, and at times, instructors. This can be attributed to the many factors that are influencing the profession of nursing including increased workloads, decreased staffing...
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