Professionalism in Nursing

What professionalism in nursing means

A recent study reports that professional boundaries are blurred as more nurses assume administrative roles. The study also found that nurses are increasingly asked to provide patient care tasks they haven’t been trained for, further challenging the professional nurse-patient relationship. Moreover, patient transgression is an increasing problem.

Despite the proliferation of nursing organizations dedicated to promoting high standards of nursing practice and educating nurses about their role in preserving professional boundaries, patient transgressions continue to occur. Examples include patients who are rude or demanding of nurses, who physically or verbally abuse them, or who attempt to touch their bodies.

The study surveyed more than 2,000 registered nurses in acute care settings about their experience with patient transgression. One-third reported at least one instance of patient transgressions. Of those, 75% reported verbal abuse, 53% had been the object of a sexual advance, and 38% had experienced physical violence from a patient or someone acting on behalf of a patient.

Why is professionalism important for nurses?

The study also looked at the frequency with which nurses have to perform tasks outside their usual scope of practice due to staffing shortages, an increasing trend. Nurses reported being asked to perform tasks for which they are not trained or have no background eight to nine times per month on average. This ranged from administering medications outside their normal role, performing wound care after hours, managing ventilators and catheters drawing blood, and giving shots. Other duties nurses take on include inserting and removing foley and urethral catheters, performing wound debridement and irrigation, applying dressing changes, assisting with colostomy care, providing routine epidural infusions, and administering blood transfusions.

Why is professionalism important for nurses?

So, how can nurses maintain their professionalism? The study recommends being familiar with organizational policies regarding patient care and preventing transgressions. It also suggests that nurses have a system for reporting transgressions so their concerns can be addressed. In addition, registered nurses should maintain appropriate boundaries during the workday to protect themselves from potential harm and to ensure patients feel respected by them to support a positive therapeutic relationship.

Importance of Professionalism in Nursing

Professionalism is of utmost importance in nursing. The nurse-patient relationship is a fundamental aspect of the profession, and based on that encounter, it includes showing compassion towards patients. Nurses are in a unique position where they may come into contact with patients at every stage in their lives and under different conditions. Professionalism in nursing can be displayed through the nurse’s conduct, service delivery, and interactions with their patients and colleagues. Nurses must be involved members of their societies, and actively participate in promoting and preserving professional nursing standards.

Professional Boundaries

“Professional boundaries can be thought of as invisible parameters which delineate what is considered appropriate conduct for nurses, and likewise inappropriate conduct for those outside the profession. These boundaries are different from facility to facility and shift to shift. Boundaries include the nurse-patient relationship as well as the nurse-nurse relationship. Nurses should be aware that there may be circumstances when other healthcare providers will approach them requesting assistance or advice outside of their roles as nurses. It is important for nurses, especially those in leadership positions, to be proactive and clear about their response to such requests. Nurses who choose to decline to engage in tasks outside of their normal responsibilities should explore whether contact with the requester can be made at another time.”

Nurses are entrusted with protecting patient confidentiality. Nurses must remember that information learned during providing care to one patient must remain confidential when caring for other patients. This extends to verbal and written communication, the Internet, telephone service, pagers, voice messaging systems, fax machines, computers (including e-mail), cellular telephones and all forms of electronic.

Media

Nurses must maintain confidentiality when using them in any form.”

Nurses have a duty to report professional or ethical violations by their colleagues. However, nurses are not responsible for disclosing confidential information gained from other nurses while providing nursing care.

How is professionalism applied in nursing?

The nurse’s primary responsibility is toward his/her patient and maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship between himself/herself and the patient. Nurses should not engage in any behavior that would erode that relationship or harm the patient.

All nurses are members of the public, and as such, they are responsible for acting responsibly about their professional duties, moral obligations, legal constraints, and personal behavior.

How do you promote professionalism in nursing?

“As nurses continue to advance their role as leaders in the profession, they need to be aware of their roles and responsibilities as leaders. You can show leadership qualities by being a respected member of your community.

Maintaining a high standard of professional conduct is important as nurses advance within the health care profession. The various codes of ethics outline the ethical principles formed by support groups for nursing. These codes of ethics can be modified to suit the group’s needs, but all contain certain basic elements.

The following are four applicable principles a Code of Ethics for Nurses uses.

1) Respect for Autonomy- the principle that no one has the right to make choices for another person unless there is a clear case in which the person cannot make decisions.

2) Beneficence is the duty to act in the best interest of the patient or research subject.

3) Nonmaleficence- The duty to avoid doing harm.

4) Justice- The duty to treat all people fairly.”

Define professionalism in nursing.

Nurses are responsible for protecting patient confidentiality. The nurse must ensure that all health information is received, processed, and stored in a manner consistent with the applicable federal, state, and local laws governing the confidentiality of patient records.

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