Health & Medicine: Perception of Code of Ethics
Professional standards are indicators used to measure performance while codes of ethics are values related to ethics (CRNBC, 2008). Furthermore, the professional standards and the code of ethics facilitate ethical practice. As a result, Canadian Registered Nurses of British Columbia have professional standards and code of ethics that facilitate their practice so that they handle the patients, the nurses and other health care professionals ethically.
Responsibility and accountability is a professional standard that help nurses to take charge of their actions by adhering to the standards of the nursing practice and by conducting themselves in a professional way according to CRNBC practice (CRNBC, 2008). The relationship of this standard and ethical practice is evident in the four main areas of the nursing practice. In the clinical practice, the expectation of the nurse is to be accountable and responsible to the care given to the patient (CRNBC, 2011). This means that the nurse will provide quality care to the patient according to the patients’ rights because if anything goes wrong the nurse will be answerable. According to the education sector, the nurse is to provide evidenced based care (CRNBC, 2008). Therefore, the nurse should always have a rationale for every action and this mean that patients will receive the right management according to their problems and needs. In the administrative area, the nurse should follow the rules, policies and regulations of the health care facility (CRNBC, 2008). This will facilitate ethical practice because the administrator nurse will treat ever person justly. Finally, the nurse should engage in research work so that whatever he does is in line with current researches done and this will help the nurse alleviate the problem of negligence that usually arise when a nurse is deficient of knowledge.
The nursing profession has a specialized body of knowledge that guides its practice (CRNBC, 2011). In the clinical practice, the nurse should give health talks to the patients, the clients and the significant others (CRNBC, 2011). This is important because it will empower patients with information on how to promote health and prevent diseases. On the other hand, nursing education will promote ethical practice because the nurses will always mange patients according to a certain nursing theory that is in the body of knowledge (CRNBC, 2008). For instance, if the theory states that patients require autonomous care, the nurse is bound to abide by it. In the administrative sector, this standard requires that the nurse apply the knowledge about organization behavior to create an environment where respect and professional growth is a habit (CRNBC, 2011). Moreover, the nurse should share the knowledge that he has acquired through research with other nurses and health care professionals so that working becomes collaborative and harmonious ( CRNBC, 2008 ).
Competent application of knowledge is a standard that help nurses to make decision about the patient’s care (CRNBC, 2008). In the clinical practice, the nurse should collect information from the patient though assessment, diagnose the patient’s problem, plan and intervene accordingly (CRNBC, 2011). This will facilitate comprehensive patient care because the nurse would have developed a therapeutic relationship with the patient. In the area of education, the nurse will base his decision on collected information and this will alleviate the risk of missing a patient diagnosis (CRNBC, 2011). On the other hand, in the administrative sector, the nurse will develop a system to manage health information (CRNBC, 2011) and this will ensure that the patient information remain confidential. Moreover, the nurse will conduct a research based on the patients’ problems and this will guarantee that the patient receives appropriate care (CRNBC, 2008).
Code of ethics requires that the nurses do what is right according to their profession (CRNBC, 2008). In the clinical area, the nurse should provide a safe practice (CRNBC, 2011). For instance, ethical practice requires that the nurse ensure that the patient is free from neither physical nor psychological injury. In line with education, the nurse should maintain privacy and confidentiality by not sharing the patients’ information with any other person who is not involved in the patient’s care (CRNBC, 2008). In the administration sector, it is ethical for the administrator nurse to maintain justice by treating everyone equally (CRNBC, 2011). Furthermore, during a research, the nurse should respect the patient’s decision and preserve their dignity (CRNBC, 2011). For instance, the nurse should not force a patient to take part in the research if he does not want.
Provision of services in the public interest require that nurses provide holistic care to the patients as they work as a team with all the people involved in the patients’ care (CRNBC, 2011). In the clinical practice, the nurse should be the patient advocate because this will ensure that the patient receive a holistic care because all the patients’ problems will get the necessary attention (CRNBC, 2011). On the other hand, educating other nurses about the patients’ care will ensure that the patient receive quality care and is protected from harm which can occur due to lack of information (CRNBC, 2008). According to this standard, the administrator nurse is supposed to supervise the people involved in the patient’s care (CRNBC, 2011). This supervision will enhance ethical practice because the patients will receive dignified services.
Self-regulation is a nursing professional standard that allow nurses to act autonomously while promoting health and well-being of the patients (CRNBC, 2011). For instance, in the clinical practice, the nurse should work collaboratively with the patient to achieve the patient’s set goals. This will enhance ethical practice because in the event of the nurse working with the patient, he will treat the patient in a dignified way and allow the patient to make his own decisions (CRNBC, 2011).
In conclusion, the CRNBC professional standards and code of ethics are significant in the nursing profession because they facilitate ethical practice.
References
CRNBC. (March). Profesional Standards. Web.
CRNBC. (2008). Professional Standards. Web.