My Accountability As A Privileged Nurse

Accountability means:” being accountable for one’s own action”. The American Nursing Association (ANA) states in its code that the nurse will assume accountability for individual nursing judgments and actions. Professional nurses are accountable in several areas including accountability to the public, client, profession, employer, and self (Hood, 2010, p. 307). All professional nurses have the responsibility to work within their scope of practice to provide the best possible care to patients. Nurses’ should have a thorough knowledge about their accountability in specific areas of practice. The level of responsibility and accountability depends on professional levels. A nursing supervisor has more responsibility than a charge- nurse. A

268). Accountability and responsibility differ, because responsibility belongs to the person doing the task and accountability belongs to the person who assigned the task. The nurse is both accountable for the task being completed and is also responsible for evaluating the task or the results of the task. Therefore, within every delegated procedure, both the nurse and the UAP hold responsibility, yet only the nurse is accountable. If a procedure is done wrong or the patient is harmed by the task, the nurse is at fault because she delegated that procedure and she is ultimately accountable for patient outcomes.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics provides many professional traits that can be incorporated to an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals such as compassion and respect, advocacy, accountability for nursing practice and participation in advancement of the nursing career (Cherry, 2011). Compassion is a very important aspect of the nursing profession. It would be very difficult to be a nurse without being compassionate. Nurses demonstrate compassion and respect daily in their work by actively listening to patients’ and family members’ problems and concerns and by empathy when appropriate. Advocacy is a nursing trait constantly used by the entire interdisciplinary team. Nurses advocate for patients’ right of autonomy for decision making in regards to their care, treatments and procedures. Also, nurses are in the best position to serve as a bridge between the patient and the interdisciplinary team. Accountability is so essential in the nursing profession. Nurses are accountable for their own nursing practices and for our patients.

The roles and responsibility of a nurse are that most nurses face moral problems similar to these faces by the physician as well as a moral problem uniquely related to their professional role thus nurse must sometimes choose between doing what they believe will promote patients well-being and the respecting the patient ’ self-determination. Lisa explained the role as a role, is a “norm-governed patterns of action that undertaken in accordance with the social expectations” (Lisa page 690). Thus, the ability to serve and work according to the

Errors pervade in our lives whether it is our home, in our workplace, or in our society. The effects of healthcare errors have impacted all our lives either directly or indirectly. Patient safety and quality care are at the core of healthcare system which strongly depends upon nurses. “To achieve goals in patient safety and quality, thereby improve healthcare, nurses must assume the leadership role. Nurses need to ensure that they and other healthcare providers center healthcare on patients and their families. Even though the quality and safety of healthcare is heavily influenced by the complex nature

Due to the events at Mr Gallway’s residence the enrolled nurse is now behind schedule by 1 hour. The enrolled nurse has one client left for the day Mr Burke which was scheduled for 12.20. The enrolled nurse finished at Mr Gallway’s at 12.40, the enrolled nurse is also due a lunch break after Mr Gallway. However, due to the delay the enrolled nurse may decide to delay the lunch break until the service for Mr Burke has been completed. Once the decision has been made the enrolled nurse will need to communicate with Mr Burke/carer and explain that due to a medical emergency that the enrolled nurse is running half an hour late and will be at the residence by 12.50. The enrolled nurse will check that this is ok with Mr Burke/carer, if this is not suitable the enrolled nurse may offer to do a follow up visit at another time that is convenient.

A nurse’s primary role is to safeguard and care for their patients. They are responsible and accountable for providing safe, evidence based and patient centred care, and to maintain the dignity and respect for their patients at all times. They must show professionalism and integrity and a work with in their legal and ethical frameworks and in partnership with a multi- disciplinary team of professionals’ and also with their patient and their family/friends/carers. (Hall,C., Ritchie,D., 2013)

Many components make up an accountable nurse. George Bernard Shaw stated, “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” Nurses are faced with challenges everyday and decisions may need to be made at a moment’s notice. A nurse who is accountable will attempt to make the best decision on behalf of the patient; however, sometimes those choices lead to further consequences. By learning from mistakes and past experiences, nurses can learn to think critically and also use autonomy and beneficence as aids for success. A true nurse is someone who can admit faults, but continue to succeed for the sake of the patient.

For this week’s discussion, I will be answering the following questions; 1) What factors should be considered when dealing with decisions where the nurse and patient hold differing values? 2) How would I feel about a patient that is making an unwise decision, and how would I respond? 3) If I believe that there should be limits to empowerment. Lastly, I will provide an example of a patient situation where patient empowerment might pose an ethical dilemma for me.

When I reflect on the professional responsibilities of an RN three main points come to mind. Patient care, integrity, and morals. Patient care is a responsibility that is defined by the actions of not only my self but all nurses that work in my department, my hospital, and ultimently all over the world. For example in the department that I work, Emergency Department at Parkwest Hospital, one nurse who is have a bad day combined with a doctor whom is overwelmed with patient to see and in addition a patient that is in pain or not feeling good. How we all interact with that patient can define patient care for every RN at Parkwest. My mother-in-law for example has a bad experence at Parkwest in the ER. Now anytime someone talks about Parkwest

Regardless of what career a person holds, there will always be personal/professional accountability and opportunities for advancement. The nursing profession is a unique field that evolves based on evidence-based practice as well as advances in medicine and technology. As such, the nursing profession requires nurses to not only stay up to date about latest practices but also advance themselves. One way that nurses stay current is by continuing to pursue advance degrees and certificates through education and taking on higher positions in their profession. Finally, nurses must be accountable for their actions both personally and personally in order to protect their patient’s privacy and health. For example, if a nurse makes a medication error and reports it there is an increased chance of preventing harm and/or death of a patient. In the following essay the writer will reflect on her personal and professional accountability as well as what her career goals are for the future.

Being a nurse means you have signed an unofficial contract with all who pass through your care that maintains the nurse will do everything in their power to advocate for the patient and work with the patient’s best interests and health in mind. Advocacy is an umbrella term that covers all actions a nurse may take to inform a patient and give them the proper recommendations so they may make an informed decision about their care. It is the basis of a strong patient-nurse relationship. It is upheld by the patients trust in the nonmaleficence of the nurse and the beneficence of the nurse.

Professional responsibility and accountability: the nurse must act within the law and follow the rules and regulations of the nursing and midwifery board. She must support the ethical and professional values and the standards of conduct and practice in this code and in other standards and guidance set down by the board. She is required to continue to abide by all existing guidance and standards documents as issued by the board. The nurse is responsible and accountable for her decisions and actions including inactions and omission in her practice. She is responsible and accountable for her own health and wellbeing. If her health affects her ability to practice safely, she must get help to manage her condition. She must also advocate for and on behalf of service users who require her to ensure their rights and interest are

The nursing profession is a great deal when it comes to patient care. Nurses are the people who spend the most time at the bedside and are the people who knows the most about the patient. The metaparadigm of nursing integrates health, the patient, the environment, and nursing, itself. This paper will discuss my nursing philosophy in regard to the profession, as well as the essential elements that fall under the paradigms, such as, accountability and responsibility. Part of the profession include being able to assign and delegate tasks while being held accountable for those delegated tasks and assignments. Lastly, I will be providing information about what it means to have ethical and moral obligations to the profession and how personal responsibility to the healthcare environment plays a vital role in promoting quality patient care.

Being autonomy and accountability: according to Potter (2015), autonomy is when the nurses gives a care without the care providers’ orders and make a decision based on their knowledge and skills. That means the nursing is independent and self-governing in decision-making practice. Accountability is defined as when the nursing professionally and legally responsible for the type of duties and quality of nursing care provides (Potter, Patricia Ann, et al., 2015, p.6). Thus, as