Nursing Code of Ethics - Essay Example

Reflective professional development essay Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name Insert Date Here (Day, Month, Year) For us as nurses, Florence Nightingale is an ideal that should be followed and her principles should be adhered to. There are several incidents that could come in our life where our will power, and professional determination is judged and the way we should carry out while following the nursing code of ethics I am discussing taking my example. While attending my clinical practicum in a day surgery unit, my allocated preceptor gave me the responsibility of assisting her in the provision of barrier nursing care to a patient requiring post surgical infection control & isolation due to identified recorded multiple infectious diseases stipulated in the patient’s file. The patient returned to the ward post surgical procedure. My preceptor and I had prepared the isolation area for the barrier nursing method to be implemented in accordance with the health care facilities protocol for infectious disease control. The patient was conscious, as the unit was a stage-two recovery ward. I have to attain verbal consent for providing nursing care in the clinical setting under the nurses Professional Code of Conduct. Under provision of this code of conduct, “A nurse must, where practicable, seek consent from the individual or a person entitled to act on behalf of the individual before disclosing information. In the absence of consent, the nurse uses professional judgment regarding the necessity to disclose particular details, giving due consideration to the interests, well–being, health and safety of the individual and recognising that the nurse is required by law to disclose certain information”. (Forrester & Griffiths 2005: 369) As I approached the patient to attain his verbal consent for provision of nursing care in the clinical setting, and the moment patient saw my student uniform, he verbally expressed discontent and apprehension towards me for initiating and delivering nursing care post operatively to him. The patient then proceeded to show his concern over a potential conflict of interest to occur if I was to provide nursing care, therefore wanted to exercise the right to refuse treatment from me. A patient can exercise his right to refuse the treatment, which has been particularly stated in legislation in Australia. (Skene 2006: 421) The laws, which have conferred this right has been established on the principle of maximising autonomy as it has been asserted that competent adults should have the right to take decisions of their own life, provided they are not harmful to others. (Ryan 1996: 441) Here the patient expressed his concern that I can disclose all his private medical information and breach the confidentiality as a student of nursing institution where he was also a student and completing the same degree as myself. In case of the patient refusal of a nursing care, nurses may reply by providing information on the procedures till the time patient finally consent to the same. The process of making the patient accede to the consent may take much of the nurse’s time but a professional nurse must follow the same. In case patient does not follow the procedure then nurse has to administer the care without the consent of the patient. In other words, professional ethics demand nurses to take the consent before administering the nursing care but in case if this is not possible then nurses should not consider taking of the consent as necessary. Preference is given to consent but it is not applied in every day nurse’s practice. (Aveyard 2004: 346) Following this principle, I assured the patient that according to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Professional Conduct, I would never disclose any patient’s information as it is confidential in nature, and to do so would be a criminal offence as it would be a breach of the privacy act, and that all information obtained relative to procedures performed, care and treatment provided and patient’s status and condition remains in the patient’s file, of which none is shared with any person outside of the health care facility, unless consent to share information with other community health care professionals is provided by the patient in signatory writing. (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council 2006: 4) I virtually convinced the patient that it is my whole-hearted duty or care to ensure that all private patient information is kept as such, and is only disclosed to fellow health care team professionals within the facility who are treating clinicians and collaborative allied health care team members. I was also able to convince patient that my preceptor had especially chosen me for your care as I would able to better take care of you and provide the health -care facilities as required of you for infectious disease control. I will give all the support and ensure your well-being and any decisions on your part. The Nurses Code of Ethics also inhibits and refrains me in engaging in any exploitative behaviour, misinformation and misrepresentation regarding health care products and nursing services. I also would like to inform you that I have an obligation as a nurse to take care of you in a safe environment and in the most competent manner and there won’t be any compromise in this regard what so ever. I will also practice according to the agreed standards of the profession. It is especially mentioned in the Code of Professional Conduct that “Treat personal information obtained in a professional capacity as confidential.” (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council 2006: 4) Under the nursing code of ethics while showing complete respect and kindness for patient, I suggested that if the patient has a feeling that a conflict of interest is still evident then I would sure acknowledge refusal of care in the capacity of the student nurse, and will inform and consult my allocated supervisor and the Nurse Unit Manager to arrange alternate nurse. At this, patient disclosed an incident he had to face when he was being treated in the same health care facility several months prior to this event. A fellow student nurse provided post surgical care to the patient but nurse breached the confidential code of conduct and disclosed about the medical condition of the patient i.e. infectious disease state to the fellow academic students of the same year. On hearing his story, I showed my sympathy and full concern towards him and his rationale behind his refusal to accept care from me. Initially when patient showed reluctance for taking care from me, I felt agitated and I felt my ego was hurt. I also felt disappointed because refusal on the part of the patient would mean question has been raised on my credibility as a nurse. Secondly if I agreed immediately to the patient’s demand for the replacement of the nurse then it would also mean I am not confident about my profession and I am ignoring my duty towards the patient. The Nurse Code of Ethics also states the fact that “The actions of a nurse in their personal life may have adverse impact on their reputation and on the profession, and may have adverse therapeutic outcomes”. (Forrester & Griffiths 2005: 368) In other words, on one side there was a question of patients demand and on the other side my reputation was at stake. But I kept my cool and reassured him that all information would be kept confidential, as it my duty to uphold the professional ethics in my work place. For few seconds, I faced a situation of dilemma. But I maintained my calm because as a nurse, I should keep my emotions under control and only think about the welfare of the patient. It has been viewed that nurses when dealing with such patients themselves get anxious and might get unsettled. (Stein-Parbury 2005: 229) The Nurses Code of Conduct expects nurses to conduct in a very personally and professional way that would increase and maintain the public trust and confidence in the profession. Nurses have certain responsibilities towards the individual, society and the profession; these responsibilities entitle them and make them obligatory to provide safe environment and nursing care to the individual. (Crisp, Potter, Perry & Taylor 2005: 379) I politely gave patient an assurance that I will keep all the information secret and no information would be disclosed to anybody. Patient proceeded to give consent in order to take care from me. I felt satisfied that I was able to convince patient for taking nursing care that was most required in that case from me. It has been viewed by the nurse’s literature that “nurses reasoning and interventions have a significant outcome on patient.” (Higgs & Jones 2004: 114) While keeping my Nursing Code of Ethics in place which is “A nurse must promote and preserve the trust that is inherent in the privileged relationship between a nurse and an individual and respect both the person and property of that individual”, (Levett-Jones & Bourgeois 2006: 52) I was able to instill trust in the patient and I was able to perceive that patient was now satisfied and relieved to hear that I on my part would not deviate from my professional ethics and would never breach confidentiality or privacy anything related to the patients treatment and condition. It is utmost duty on the part of nurses in delving towards the promotion of health, prevention of disease and helping patients to cope with illnesses. They are advocators and health educators, for family, individual and whole community. As the nurse has to directly correspond with the patients, they observe the patients condition, make records of the symptoms, react to the outcomes, administer all the medications, and assist in recuperation, and rehabilitation. (Timofeeva 2002: 1) While the state laws determine the tasks and certain rules and ethics that need to be performed by the nurses but the circumstances and situations are the most important factors determining the ways nurses perform their duties in their day-to-day dealing with the patients. I as a nurse while adhering to the professional code of ethics and following the principles and understanding my duties, I got patient convinced and from then I began my task towards his care. Reference List Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2006. Code Of Professional Conduct For Nurses In Australia. [Online] Available: http://www.anmc.org.au/docs/Research%20and%20Policy/Codes%20Project/New%20Code%20of%20Professional%20Conduct%20for%20Nurses%20August%202008.pdf [18 March 2009] Ayeyard, H. 2004. END OF LIFE: The patient who refuses nursing care. Journal of Medical Ethics, 30: 346-350. Crisp, J., Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G. & Taylor, C. 2005. Potter and Perry's fundamentals of nursing. Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Forrester, K& Griffiths, D. 2005. Essentials of Law for Health Professionals Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Higgs, J. & Jones, M.A. 2004. Clinical Reasoning in the Health Professions. Philadelphia: Elsevier Health Sciences. Levett-Jones, T & Bourgeois, S. 2006. The clinical placement: an essential guide for nursing students. Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Ryan, C.J. 1996. Depression, decisions and the desire to die. The Medical Journal of Australia, 165: 411. Skene, L. 2006. Life Prolonging Treatment and Patient’s Legal Right in First do no harm: law, ethics and healthcare edited by Sheila McLean: 421-430. Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Stein-Parbury, J. 2005. Patient and person: interpersonal skills in nursing. Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier Australia. Timofeeva, A.A. 2002. The nursing profession: description and issues. New York: Nova Publishers. Read More