Assignment Analytical paper - Essay Example

World famous actors and high-paid physicians are not the only ones however who need to be aware of the important issues surrounding the standard of care and the general standard in practice. Nurses must understand the principles of professional nursing practice and ethical and legal implications of the work that they do. Seeking to provide a thorough and comprehensive overview of the implications of not following institutional policy and practice standards, this research paper will identify the principles of professional nursing practice and explain the ramifications of failing to follow this practice by looking at Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 of Western Australia and the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia (BBC, 2009).

Nurses play an important, yet often neglected role, in sustaining the care of patients. Accordingly, nurses must maintain a high ethical standard in their practice. According to the Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 of Western Australia, there are many penalties for unethical behavior and for not following established protocol and policy standards in the delivery of care. Accordingly, there are financial penalties associated with the contravention of standard nursing practice. Being a registered nurse is a privilege and a status which is achieved after the successful completion of courses, testing and years of hard work.

When one practices as a nurse or midwife without the proper certification, the Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 prescribes penalties for such unethical behavior. Thus, someone who practices nursing or midwifery and is not registered to do so faces penalties applicable to section 85(1), (2), (3). Pecuniary in nature, the first offence is penalized at $5,000 with a daily penalty of $200. Accordingly, for the second and all subsequent offences, they are penalized at $10,000 with a daily penalty of $400.

These are significant sums of money which should act as a real deterrent to those without the proper