Code Of Ethics In Nursing Practice

A.) Like any other medical profession, Registered Nurses are governed and controlled by different groups. There are rules and policies that nurses have to abide by to practice nursing. First there is the Board of Registered nursing(BRN). This agency is responsible for communicating what is appropriate and legal for a nurse to do in the state of California. The BRN also enforces an education requirement, which forced graduates to pass the NCLEX prior to practicing (What is the board of registered nursing,2016). By doing this, the agency is protecting the public and community from unsafe nurses. For example, after I graduated the nursing program, I studied vigorously for the state board exam. In order for me to practice as a nurse, I needed to
The Code of Ethics guides and assists nurses with complex ethical problems and helps with decision making while working as a Registered Nurse (Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements,2015). One example is Provision 1, which states the nurse must practice with great compassion, dignity and respect of everyone. Nursing is very complex and diverse, and nurses often encounter people from different cultures and backgrounds. In my practice, I do my best to treat everyone I come in contact in with respect and dignity. For example, I work a lot with drug addicts and persons that go in and out from jails and prisons. When I practice, I do not think about why they were drug user or why they were incarcerated. Instead, I provide the best possible care and think about what I can do to aid them with their short and long term goals. Another Code described by the ANA is provision 3, which talks about the nurse advocating, providing safety, and protecting patient rights. At my hospital, we have a large amount of patients who are living on the streets and are homeless. When discharge is approaching, I advocate for my patients by talking with the Psychiatrists and Social Workers to help my patients stay off the streets and possibly help them find a place to stay. I assist patients with phone numbers to local Room and Boards, Shelters, or even help patients find phone numbers of friends or
First I will start with the principle Beneficence. This Ethic implies that Registered nurses should do good and advocate for their patients (Pantilat, S,2008). In my personal experience, I recall having a patient who was dealing with severe pain to his lower back. The previous Registered nurse and Psychiatrist both insisted that the behavior was “Medication Seeking Behavior”. Patient was always in his room, laying down on his bed tense and anxious. Patient was hyperventilating and blood pressure was elevated. I contacted the charge nurse and the medical doctor about the situation. At the end, the Medical Doctor prescribed him an Opioid Analgesic. Patient then was more cooperative with treatment, was out of his room and socializing more after I had administered the pain medication. The patient was thankful and was appreciative of my actions. The second principle that I want to discuss is Respect for Autonomy. This principle is stating that the patient has the right to receive accurate information and has ability to make medical choices for themselves (Pantilat, S,2008). At my current job, I was a nurse of a young female patient with a long history of rape and abuse. When I went to go interview her, she immediately states that she would rather have her nurse be a female due to her history. Patient informed me that she did not feel comfortable and states she gets