There are some very distinct differences between regulatory agency and professional nursing organization as well as some similarities that overlap. A State Board of Nursing, NCSA, ACNE, and the NIL are all regulatory agencies that are responsible for setting educational requirements either to become a nurse or regulates CE requirements or they set criteria for what is on the test to assure that testing Is standardized throughout the United States. These regulatory entities are responsible or testing for licenser.
They set the scope of practice within their Individual state to determine what different levels of nursing may or may not do, and responding to complaints towards health care facilities or Individual practitioners. A professional nursing organization on the other hand, such as the ANA, advocates for the patient and the role of nursing. The ANA developed the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators or commonly called the NDIS. The NDIS Is a database that keeps track of outcomes for patients and evaluates the nursing practice as related to patient outcomes. Rowel, P. September 30, 2003). This data Is then used to come up with the best practice. A professional nursing organization lobbies for better wages for nurses as a whole. They share data with other professional nursing organizations to help establish a standardized practice. In my particular field of nursing in the ICC some of the best practices established are washing urinary catheters with soap and ventilator acquired pneumonia. The ANA code of ethics has affected my career significantly over the past 11 years. Every aspect of the code of ethics is ingrained in he practice of nursing itself.
Provision one from the code of ethics has a recurring theme regardless of what area of nursing I am working. Provision one states that: “The nurse in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems”. American Nurses Association. (2001). This provision of the ANA’s code of ethics is pivotal within every aspect of nursing. A large part of this provision s the respect for human dignity and the right to self-determination.
This is true whether in the ICC with a patient that has chosen to die with dignity or in an acute psychiatric facility with a patient that is having an exacerbation of bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia. A patient has the right to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their choices in life or who they are. Provision three of the ANA’s code of ethics states that “the nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and the rights of the patient”. American Nurses Association. 2001). Provision three is as simple as it states.
We, as nurses, are not only advocates for the patient, but protectors of the patient against possibly family, other patients, or impaired or questionable practice from other practitioners. It is important throughout all disciplines of nursing to protect the safety and privacy of the patient. Four professional traits that I believe that I will bring to the interdisciplinary team are traits that I believe to be very important to being a well- rounded professional nurse. I believe that all of the traits are important and I believe I could bring all to the table, but the four listed I believe I am strongest at.
I believe strongly in respecting human dignity. I believe in a patient’s right to have self- determination. I believe in being responsible and practicing responsibly as well as being accountable for the decisions that I make in my practice. I believe in having wholeness of character not only as a professional nurse but in my personal life as well. One nursing theory that has influenced my professional practice is one by Thread Room’s “Self-Care Model”. This theory can be applied to either acute psychiatric in-patient or in the critical care settings.
When a person becomes ill there is a deficit that is created in the patient’s ability to take care of themselves. It is the nurse’s responsibility to measure these deficits and create appropriate actions to assist the patient. The goal is to assist the patient with the deficit until the patient is better equipped to do so. It is important to reevaluate on regular intervals to assure that the patient start bridging these deficits on their own. One historical nurse that has made by far one of the largest contributions to not only the practice of nursing UT to health care as a whole is Florence Nightingale.
Her theory cleanliness and the environment was a huge step to providing better outcomes for the patient. Today’s hospitals all have a group of professionals dedicated to infection control thanks in large to Florence Nightingale. Hospitals are continually tracking infection sources, routes, as well as where it was acquired, and what particular bacteria caused the infection. A spike in any hospital setting should trigger follow up such as blood cultures, urine cultures, or sputum cultures to determine the source.
Knowing all of earn how to better protect our patients. Two instances that I can think that I safeguarded a patient do to principles within my practice as a nurse. A physician had written an order for 200 MGM of Lasts which was significantly over the regular dose. Instead of given the ordered dose without question, I called the physician to verify the dose ordered. In this instance I was exercising the principle of malefaction. Another instance where I feel that I safeguarded a patient was as a Director of Nursing at a nursing home.
A patient came in that had accidentally overdosed on main medication because he had forgotten the last time that he had taken the pill. The overdose on the medication was his only issue at home that he had a hard time with. The administrator and the patient’s son were discussing permanent placement in the nursing home. The occupational therapist and I had come up with a plan to put a pill box in his home that his son had a key to and agreed to load every week. This particular pill box was timed to dispense the pain pills at the prescribed time.
