Nursing and Patient
Nursing is a profession in which professionalism and high moral character go hand in hand. Nurses have access to very important information and care for patients during critical times in their lives. Because of the nature of work that a nurse does, they must always maintain professionalism to ensure that their patients have the upmost trust in them. A. Functional Differences In order to become a registered nurse, one must pass nursing school and then go on to pass a test given by their state regulatory agency, such as the board of nursing (BON). The state board of nursing has many different duties.
One of the many duties of a BON is to grant and renew nursing licenses. The BON can also take disciplinary review of nurses. It will review a complaint against a nurse’s actions and then decide whether they should suspend, restrict or revoke a nurse’s license (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 78). A professional nursing organization (PNO), like the emergency nurse association (ENA), is a private organization to which a nurse is a member. A private nurse’s organization may lobby legislature for the interest of the association’s members and to better the nursing profession as whole.
A PNO may also hold seminars to further educate the members and to keep their practices the most up to date. For example, the ENA usually holds a yearly seminar where many topics are covered throughout the week in regards to emergency nursing. Overall a PNO provides a united front for specific areas of nursing or for nursing as a whole. A PNO represents the members and a regulatory agency, such as the BON, represents the people for who the nurses will be taking care of. B. Nursing Code Examples The nursing code of ethics plays a huge role in the way nurses care for patients.
Nurses should always treat patients with the respect they deserve. For most people, being in the hospital is a very stressful and foreign event. It can lead to the patient not always being their normal, happy self. Even when the patient was upset and not exactly in the best mood, I would respect the patient and do whatever I could to ensure that I have helped the patient. I have found that if you give a patient the respect they deserve, that no matter what, they always tend to be thankful and appreciative for your help. Being respectful facilitates a trusting relationship between nurse and patient.
Another part of the nursing code of ethics that I apply to my nursing practice is to always advocate for the patient. For example, there are times when doctors will put in orders that I may question or not completely understand. Instead of just doing what the doctor orders in those circumstances, I question the doctor and make them explain the order so I understand it. If I do not agree with the order, I would tell the doctor and work it out with them. The needs and safety of patients should always be the number one priority. C.
Professional Traits Working with an interdisciplinary team allows everyone to bring their own traits and beliefs to help ensure the best care for the patient. I would bring many great traits to an interdisciplinary team. The first would be the acceptance of accountability and responsibility. When working with an interdisciplinary team, I would always accept responsibility for the patient and would hold myself accountable for the care that the patient receives. I may be following the orders of another member of the team, but in the end, it is me that is responsible for my own actions.
That is a very important concept to remember when working as part of a team. I would also ensure the patients privacy is always respected. When working with a group, there is always an increased risk of the patient’s privacy being violated. I would do everything in my power to ensure that the patient’s privacy is always respected. I would ensure only essential team members have access to the patient’s information and would make sure the environment is conducive to protecting privacy. I would also respect the patient’s right to self-determination.
While working with an interdisciplinary team, it can be easy for some members of the team to forget that the patient is ultimately the one in control. My job is to always encourage the patient to do what they feel is best for themselves and to respect their wishes. A person may decide that they do not want a particular treatment that is part of the plan and it is my job to protect their right to say no to that treatment. I would also work on advancing my nursing profession through knowledge development, dissemination, and application to practice.
Nursing is a profession that is always changed and evolving. New research for things like better standards of care and new procedures are always coming out. As part of a team, I should always be the most up to date on my education. Being informed and continuing my education allows me to be a better team member and it also allows the patient to have the best care. D. Nursing Theories Nursing theories have a definite impact on the day-to-day practices of nurses. Dorothea Orem’s theory of self-care deficit model is something that all nurses do without even realizing it.
In Dorothea Orem’s model, she states that when a patient renders an insult, there is a self-care deficit, which makes nursing interventions necessary (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 98). When a patient comes into the ER with a newly diagnosed illness, they are often unsure of what to do, or how to proceed from there. Without even thinking about doing it, nurses automatically help patients overcome these new obstacles in life. For example, a patient that has had a recent hip replacement must learn how to care for their new hip.
A nurse caring for this patient will help that patient understand their new limited mobility and how to return to their pre hospital lifestyle the best they can. Another great example of this model is a diabetic patient. In order to live a normal life with diabetes, a patient must be instructed how to take their diabetic medication, what kind of diet to eat, and the signs and symptoms of high or low blood sugar. Without the nurse’s help and specific interventions for the patient, the patient may not be able to return to their normal level of functioning.
A nurses goal for a patient is to always return them to their previous level of functioning and if that isn’t able to happen, to get them to their optimum level of self-functioning (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 98). Nursing interventions and helping patients recover from illness is what nursing is all about. Orem’s nursing theory model is the model that many nurses strive to achieve during their nursing careers. E. Historical Figure The nursing profession as we know it today would not be here if not for the actions and contributions of Florence Nightingale.
Florence Nightingale established infection control and a way of maintaining patients records (Cherry & Jacob, 2011, p. 10). By far the most important aspect of nursing that Florence Nightingale contributed to is infection control. Infection control was unheard of before Florence Nightingale. Her help during the Crimean War helped establish aseptic techniques for nursing and stressed the importance of infection control in helping patients to heal, instead of dying from their illnesses. Even today infection control is a corner stone of nursing practices.
The first thing nurses learn in nursing school is proper hand washing techniques and how to avoid spreading germs to patients. Florence Nightingale’s contributions to the nursing made nursing the profession it is today. F. Scenario Patient advocacy is one of the most important jobs a nurse is entrusted to do. A perfect example of being a patient advocate happened to me when I was helping a patient protect his autonomy. I was caring for an elderly gentleman who had terminal cancer and came into the ER short of breath.
The patient was really working to breath and the doctors and family wanted to intubate the patient to help him. The patient was alert and orientated and kept stating that he did not want to be intubated or to have any resuscitation efforts. I respected the patient’s wishes and informed the doctor that we would not be intubating this patient due to his wishes. The doctor was reluctant but finally agreed and together we explained this to the family. The patient was able to have wishes respected and wasn’t pushed into something he wanted.
Beneficence is something that is at the heart of nursing. Nurses do this all the time without even giving it a second thought. The first scenario that comes to my mind when I think of beneficence is when I had a child come into the ER with a broken leg. Without even hesitating, I knew the first thing I needed to do for this child was to manage his pain. I went out of my way to find a doctor for a medication order and was immediately on the phone with pharmacy so I would be able to pull the medication out of the omnicell without any lag time.
I was able to get his pain managed in about 7 minutes after he was wheeled into my ER room. The family and the patient were very thankful for everything that I did for them. Conclusion Professionalism and nursing are interrelated. Without professionalism, patients wouldn’t be able to respect and trust their nurse, making establishing a relationship impossible. When a nurse and patient are able to establish a relationship based on professionalism and trust, anything is possible when it comes to the care and overall well-being of the patient.
