Six Code Of Nursing Practice Essay

SIX DIMENSION SCALE OF NURSING PERFORMANCE

Patricia M. Schwirian, Ph.D., R.N.
The Ohio State University College of Nursing
1585 Neil Avenue - Columbus, OH 43210

|Instructions: The following is a list of activities in which nurses engage with varying degrees of frequency and skill. |
|IN COLUMN A: please enter the number that best describes how often the nurse performs the activities in the performance of his/her current |
|job. |
|IN COLUMN B: for those activities that the nurse does perform please enter the number that best describes how well he/she performs them. |
|PLEASE
USE THE KEY AT THE TOP OF EACH COLUMN |

|COLUMN A |COLUMN B |
|How often does this nurse perform these activities in his/her current |How well does this nurse perform these activities in his/her current |
|job?
|job? |
|Not expected in this job |Not very well |
|Never or seldom |Satisfactorily |
|Occasionally |Well |
|Frequently |Very Well
|

| |Column A |Column B |
|1. Teach a patient's family members about the patient's needs. | | |
|2. Coordinate the plan of nursing care with the medical plan of care. | | |
|3. Give praise and recognition for achievement to those under his/her direction | | |
|4. Teach preventive health measure to patients and their families. | | |
|5. Identity and use community resources in developing a plan of care for a patient and his/her | | |
|family. | | |

| |Column A |Column B |
|6. Identify and include in nursing care plans anticipated changes in patient's conditions. | | |
|7. Evaluate results of nursing care. | | |
|8. Promote the inclusion of patient's decision and desires concerning his/her care. | | |
|9. Develop a plan of nursing care for a patient. | | |
|10.
Initiate planning and evaluation of nursing care with others. | | |
|11. Perform technical procedures: e.g. oral suctioning, tracheostomy care, IV therapy, catheter | | |
|care, dressing changes. | | |
|12. Adapt teaching methods and materials to the understanding of the particular audience: e.g., age| | |
|of patient, educational background and sensory deprivation. | | |
|13. Identify and include immediate patient needs in the plan of nursing care. | | |
|14. Develop innovative methods and materials for teaching patients. | | |
|15. Communicate a feeling of acceptance of each patient and a concern for the patient's welfare. | | |
|16. Seek assistance when necessary. | |
|
|17. Help a patient communicate with others. | | |
|18. Use mechanical devices: e.g., suction machine, Gomco, cardiac monitor, respirator | | |
|19. Give emotional support to family of dying patient. | | |
|20. Verbally communicate facts, ideas, and feelings to other health care team members. | | |
|21. Promote the patients' rights to privacy. | | |
|22. Contribute to an atmosphere of mutual trust, acceptance, and respect among other health team | | |
|members. | | |
|23. Delegate responsibility for care based on assessment of priorities of nursing care needs and | | |
|the abilities and limitations of available health care personnel. | | |
|24. Explain nursing procedures to a patient prior to performing them. | | |

| |Column A |Column B |
|25. Guide other health team members in planning for nursing care. | | |
|26. Accept responsibility for the level of care under his/her direction. | | |
|27. Perform appropriate measures in emergency situations. | | |
|28. Promote the use of interdisciplinary resource persons. | | |
|29. Use teaching aids and resource materials in teaching patients and their families. | | |
|30. Perform nursing care required by critically ill patients. | | |
|31. Encourage the family to participant in the care of the patient. | | |
|32. Identify and use resources within the health care agency in developing a plan of care for a | | |
|patient and his/her family. | | |
|33. Use nursing procedures as opportunities for interaction with patients. | | |
|34. Contribute to productive working relationships with other health team members. | | |
|35. Help a patient meet his/her emotional needs. | | |
|36. Contribute to the plan of nursing care for a patient. | | |
|37. Recognize and meet the emotional needs of a dying patient. | | |
|38. Communicate facts, ideas, and professional opinions in writing to patients and their | | |
|families. | | |
|39. Plan for the integration of patient needs with family needs. | | |
|40. Function calmly and competently in emergency situations. | | |
|41. Remain open to the suggestions of those under his/her direction and use them when | | |
|appropriate. | | |
|42. Use opportunities for patient teaching when they arise. | | |
The following PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT behaviors should be evaluated in terms of quality only--i.e. COLUMN B.

| |Column A |Column B |
|43. Use learning opportunities for ongoing personal and professional growth. | | |
|44. Display self-direction. | | |
|45. Accept responsibility for own actions. | | |
|46. Assume new responsibilities within the limits of capabilities. | | |
|47. Maintain high standards of performance. | | |
|48. Demonstrate self-confidence. | | |
|49. Display a generally positive attitude. | | |
|50. Demonstrate a knowledge of the legal boundaries of nursing. | | |
|51. Demonstrate knowledge in the ethics of nursing. | | |
|52. Accept and use constructive criticism. | | |

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Further information regarding the development, use and scoring of the Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance can be found in: Schwirian, P.M. (1978). Evaluating the performance of nurses: A multi-dimensional approach. Nursing Research, 27, 347-351.

pms 7/22/91