Professional Identity of the Nurse-Scope of Nursing Practice
The scope of nursing practice describes the healthcare services that nurses are competent and allowed to undertake according to their professional license (American Nurses Association, n.d.). Nurses are the largest members of the healthcare profession. They must thus be guided by principles to enable them to provide care to their patients. These guidelines also help them to serve as patient advocates. This paper will discuss the importance of the Nurses’ Code of Ethics. In addition to this, it will discuss the ANA standards of practice for registered nurses.
Nurses’ Code of Ethics
Ethics is a critical part of the nursing foundation. For time immemorial, the nursing profession has cared for the vulnerable, sick, and injured and promoted social justice. This is due to nurses providing care to individuals and society at large. The nursing practice aims to prevent ailments and relieve patient suffering. In addition to these, they collaborate with other healthcare professionals to implement health promotion and wellness programs for the communities they serve. People who become nurses must adhere to the moral values of the nursing practice. They must also embrace these values as an integral part of the nursing process.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) developed the Code of Ethics for Nurses, which outlines the nursing profession’s primary objectives, values, and roles (ANA, 2015). There are nine codes that nurses must follow during their professional nursing practice. The Code of Ethics defines the ethical responsibilities and duties of all individuals who become nurses, sets the profession’s ethical standards, and enables nurses to commit to their roles in serving society. The Code of Ethics guides nurses on their professional duties. The code needs nurses to continue professional and educational development and to implement evidence-based practice. The Code of Ethics can help nurses solve ethical problems they may encounter during their day-to-day practice. In addition to this, the code ensures high levels of attention and care and helps nurses navigate difficult situations.
Standards of Practice
The ANA formulated the standards of nursing practice that guide nursing performance. They define the roles and duties of nurses. The registered nurse conducts patient assessment and determines diagnosis (ANA, 2015). In addition to this, they identify expected outcomes for an individualized healthcare plan and develop a care plan for the patient. RNs also implement care plans, evaluate patient progress and practices ethically (ANA, 2015). RNs must also acquire knowledge and competence reflecting the current nursing practice.
Furthermore, they must integrate evidence-based practice into patient care (ANA, 2015). RNs should communicate effectively, demonstrate leadership and collaborate with other healthcare professionals. In addition, they must appropriately use healthcare resources and practice environmental health.
Conclusion
The Code of Ethics for Nurses guides nurses on their values, roles, and objectives. They help nurses navigate through difficult times and to solve ethical issues that they encounter. The paper further discussed the Standards of Practice which determines the competence that nurses must have to provide patient care. These standards include assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementing, evaluation, evidence-based practice, communication, interprofessional collaboration, and appropriate use of healthcare resources. Nursing has been a profession which is known for compassionate care for time immemorial. By following these guidelines, nurses will be able to provide patient-centered care. It also enables them to collaborate with other healthcare professionals and serve as patient advocates.
References
America Nurses Association. (n.d.). Scope of practice. ANA. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/scope-of-practice/
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). American Nurses Publishing.
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses. American Nurses Publishing.
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Question
Professional Identity of the Nurse-Scope of Nursing Practice
Title of Assignment
Professional Identity of the Nurse: Scope of Nursing Practice
Purpose of Assignment:
- According to Larson, Brady, Engelmann, Perkins, and Shultz (2013), “the development of professional
identity is a continuous process that begins with admission to the nursing program and evolves throughout
one’s professional career in a dynamic and fluid process where interacting relationship of education and
practice lead to self-reflection, growth, and human flourishing” (p. 138).
Larson, J., Brady, N., Engelmann, L., Perkins, B., & Shultz, C. (2013). The formation of professional
identity in nursing. Nursing Education Perspectives.34 (2). p 138.
Course Competency(s):
- Describe the foundations of nursing practice.
- Explain the roles and scope of practice for members of the intraprofessional team.
- Describe principles of effective communication in the healthcare setting.
Instructions:
- This course includes a project with three parts. Each part builds off prior knowledge to help you create
your nurse professional identity. In the first part, you examine the role of the nurse and scope of practice,
which will help you identify the nurses’ role. In the second part, you describe the importance of the code
of ethics in nursing, and examine the standards of nursing practice for the role you are obtaining during
the nursing program. The final submission requires you to use the first two parts of your assignment to
explain your belief of caring in nursing, describe your professional identity, and identify a potential
professional organization that you may join to help support your development.
Content:
Prepare a two to three page written assignment that includes the following:
- Introduction to the assignment (sections of the assignment)
- Describe the importance of the code of ethics in nursing
- Identify the American Nurses Association Standards of Practice for the licensure you are
obtaining (LPN or RN) - Conclusion (reflect on the criteria of the assignment)
- Use at least two credible resources to support your findings. For example, one of the resources
could be the ANA Standards of Practice, and another resource could be the ANA Code of Ethics.
These resources must be integrated into the body of your paper using at least two in-text citations.
Be sure to use proper APA format and style.
Format:
- Two to three page written assignment
- Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.)
- Logical, original and insightful
- Professional organization, style, and mechanics in APA format
- Run your paper through Grammarly and make corrections to identified errors before submission.