A. The boards of nursing and professional nursing organizations are an important part in the field of nursing. The board of nursing is a regulatory agency within each state charged with the responsibility to administer the nurse practice act of that state. In the state of Florida, the Florida Board of Nursing is a regulatory agency made up of 13 members. Their mission is to license, monitor, discipline, educate, and rehabilitate its licensees to assure their fitness and competence in providing health care services for the people of Florida. The Florida Board of nursing’s responsibility is to ensure that every nurse practicing in Florida meets minimum requirements for safe practice, which is the purpose of the Nurse Practice Act.
In contrast, the Florida Nurses Association, which is a professional organization, purpose is to advocate for all nurses in the state of Florida. They speak on behalf of nursing in Tallahassee as well as before many regulatory bodies and partner with other organizations that share their vision to create a unified nursing advocacy program for nurses in our state.
B. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics influences my nursing practice daily. Provision 1 of the Code of Ethics states “the nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignitity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.” I follow this code with every patient and family member. In the hospital I work at, I interact with many patients that have different cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, value systems, and beliefs. I once had a patient with history of drug abuse, who stated they were in pain and had nothing ordered to relieve their pain, the doctors were hesitant about prescribing pain medication due to the patient’s history. As a nurse, I provide nursing services based on the patient’s needs, setting aside any biased or prejudice. So I called the doctor to get an order of any pain medication to relief the pain. I treated the patient’s pain the same way I would treat a patient without a history of drug abuse, while also providing the patient with resources to modify or eradicate the risky behavior. A nurses job is not to judge, but to advocate and care for our patients.