Through the use of the nursing process all professional standards can be adhered to and patient care can be safely tended to. This essay will discuss planning and delegation of a nursing shift. The registered nurse has responsibility for delegating nursing intervention and remains accountable for those interventions delegated. Appropriate delegation will occur when the registered nurse is aware of professional standards and individual scope of practice of their co-workers. Additionally, the paper will highlight critical thinking and decision making which are important attributes the registered nurse will need to develop along with the ability to provide a suitable handover to appropriately delegate nursing
Hence, nurses have the responsibility to advocate patients and help them out. Nurses engaged in professional activities should have the manner that protects patients’ autonomy in order to advocate for patients. According to Mahlin’s article, “Individual Patient Advocacy, Collective Responsibility and Activism Within Professional Nursing Associations”, “Patient autonomy is an essential part of patient advocacy” (Mahlin, 2010). Every patient has the right to choose whether to be involved in planning their health plan or not, because patients have autonomy to make the decision. As nurses, we should seek available resources to help patients to formulate decisions to utilize their rights and achieve their expectations if they confront a dilemma or they have inadequate health knowledge.
Nurses must be of a high integrity, have self-respect, be willing to grow professionally and educationally and have a strong moral fiber. The nurse must disregard his own prejudices and advocate for their patients no matter, what race, social economic status, personal attributes, disease processes, and nature of health problem or lifestyle. It is the duty of the nurse to show compassion and care to all patients. The code of ethics is followed in every aspect of my practice and everyday life. Starting from the time I wake up to begin my day, to when I walk on to the hospital unit to begin my shift, to reporting off, and continues even after I leave the building and go home.
People have different perspectives regarding the nursing profession. Nursing careers include direct contact with patients. That is why one should be highly dedicated to this job to become the best possible caregiver one can be. Personal nursing philosophy entails the core beliefs and values incorporated into the profession to act as guidance to nurses when taking care of the clients. It upholds the treatment of every patient with care, compassion, respect and dignity; regardless of their ethnicity, race, disease or financial status (Barnard, 2002).
Nurses sometimes follow orders without thinking if the order being followed is in the interest of the patient since patient safety should be the foremost objective of any nurse. According to Maryland and Gonzales (2012), an advocate is one that supports, believes, sponsors, promotes, campaignes, or speaks on behalf of another. A nurse advocate not only cares for the patient but strives to protect the health safety and rights of the patient (National League of Nursing, 2014). Advocacy means going beyond the call of duty. Advocacy involves speaking for and standing by the patient when his or her decision does not go in line with the nurses.
Personal Philosophy of Nursing Beverly’s Personal Philosophy of Nursing In order to write a philosophy of nursing, I believe that first one must decide what philosophy means to them. William R. Thomas (2011), director of programs for The Atlas Society, explains philosophy as an inclusive system of ideas about human nature and the nature of the reality we live in. Studies reveal that this system is a guide for living centered on the issues it addresses and determining the course we take in life and how we treat other people is determined by one’s philosophy. Based on this information a nurse’s philosophy of their responsibilities as a member of the health care profession is significant. As a nurse grows with knowledge and experience their philosophy is likely to yield some transformation.
Education for all staff members in understanding each other’s specialized jobs is also a critical piece for continuity of care. This will enable team members to confidently refer patients within the clinic to each other. While Ms. W is clearly concerned about Ms. R’s health and her unborn baby, she is forgetting that there are other health practitioners within the clinic that could assist Ms. R in her medical care. As the nursing supervisor of the clinic I would first recognize Ms. W for what she is trying to accomplish with Ms. R. The time she has spent with Ms. R, giving her phone number to her and the concern she has shown. I would ask Ms. W if she thought there was anything else she could do to promote continuity of care.
In my work role I also have a responsibility to provide a duty of care to all patients receiving care. This is `The legal obligation to safeguard others from harm while they are in your care, using your services or exposed to your activities`. (Collins 2015) I am required to work to an excellent standard and quality of care, adhering to my organisations policies in my everyday practice. The trust value that I meet are; `We put our patients at the centre of everything we do’ `We focus on our people’ `We involve our people in making decisions’ and `We deliver excellence’ (Trust values booklet.) I am expected to ensure that all patients are treated fairly and with dignity and respect, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and diagnosis, and always act in the best interests of the individual whilst allowing them to be as independent as possible.
Moral leadership in nursing is about professionalism, responsibility, accountability, and competency. Nurses have an obligation to preserve their patient’s values, beliefs and dignity, to assure optimal health care, personal well- being, and promote quality of life. In all aspect of nursing, nurses are role models, healthcare providers, patient advocates and are required to meet the needs of their patients. Which can be done by communicating openly and honestly, being fair and trustworthy, being proactive, and by putting patients first. Nurses are face with ethical dilemmas on a daily basic therefore, must examine their own personal and professional values and morals in order to maintain a caring and compassionate relationship with their patients.
It states that nurses are responsible in developing and maintaining an appropriate relationship; advising that nurses must listen to the people in their care and respond to their concerns, “Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity”, (NMC 2008). Research demonstrates that there are many approaches to having effective relationships that can bring significant change (Hill and Kellems 2002). One is the clients’ motivation; another is the presence of a person who can offer a relationship that displays acceptance/unconditional positive regard, empathy and genuineness (Rogers as cited in McLeod 2003). As described by McLeod (2003), Rogers three core conditions are indispensable in facilitating change and are used in most health care disciplines. The use of empathy, unconditional positive regards and acceptance is important and if used correctly can achieve positive outcomes, assisting the nurse-patient relationship (McQueen 2000).