Nursing Concepts

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Nursing Concepts

• Professionalism

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Definition

• A profession is a vocation requiring knowledge
  of some department of learning or science.
• A professional is one who follows an occupation
  as a means of livelihood or gain or who is
  engages in one of the learned professions.

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Definition

• Professionalism is exhibited by professional
  characteror the standing, practice, or methods
  of a professional as distinguished from an
  amateur. American College Dictionary
• The conduct, aims, or qualities that
  characterize or mark a profession or a
  professional person Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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6 Characteristics of a professional

• Education
• Code of Ethics
• Compensation
• Organized
• Autonomy
• Licensure

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Education

• Accreditation of schools

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• Porterville College is fully accredited by the
  Western Association of Schools and Colleges and
  is recognized by licensing authorities of the
  State of California, the U.S. Office of
  Immigration and Naturalization, and the Veterans
  Administration.

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Education

• Accreditation of schools
• Nursing research
• Nursing theory
• Nursing publications
• Continuing education

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Nurses Top List of Most Honest and Ethical
Professions

• GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
• December 14, 2006
• PRINCETON, NJ -- Someone seeking a job that
  commands high respect need look no further than
  nursing. According to Gallup's annual honesty and
  ethics poll, nurses top the list of occupations
  rated for their honesty and ethical standards,
  earning high marks from more than four in five
  Americans. A combined 84 of Americans describe
  nurses' ethics as "very high" or "high." What's
  more, only 2 of Americans say nurses have low
  ethical standards.

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Code of ethics

• 04/17/2007 Nurse Steals Pain Medication from
  Patient
•   Debra J. Krekovich, 51, was a registered nurse
  at Premier Estates nursing facility where she
  allegedly stole a patients prescription of
  Demerol. Demerol is a moderate to severe pain
  relief drug and can be very habit forming.

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• Krekovich picked up the drug for the patient at
  the pharmacy but never delivered it. She admitted
  the theft to police and claimed she used it for
  her own chronic pain.
• Krekovich was charged with theft and possession
  of a controlled substance. Her employment with
  the nursing facility has been terminated.

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Organized

• Professional Nursing Organizations
• The American Academy of Nursing
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing 
• The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses 
• The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
• The American Nurses Association
• The American Nurses Credentialing Center
• American Public Health Association
• Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools

• The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
• The National League for Nursing Accrediting
• The National League for Nursing
• National Student Nurses' Association
• National Institute of Nursing Research
• Sigma Theta Tau International
• U. S. Public Health Service Nursing

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Autonomy

• Autonomy is the freedom to act on what you know,
  to make independent clinical decisions and to act
  in the best interest of the patient
• Judgment
• Professionals are in a position, given their
  training and education to use their own judgement
  in determining the appropriate approach to their
  clients
• Independence
• They can work independently and charge fees or
  they can be part of an organization

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Licensure

• Board of Nursing
• All states (since 1923)

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Title 16

• California Code of Regulations, Division 25
  Chapter 1. Vocational Nurses
• (Includes Amendments Through June 1, 2008)
• 2518.5. Scope of Vocational Nursing Practice.
• The licensed vocational nurse performs services
  requiring technical and manual skills which
  include the following
• (a) Uses and practices basic assessment (data
  collection), participates in planning, executes
  interventions in accordance with the care plan or
  treatment plan, and contributes to evaluation of
  individualized interventions related to the care
  plan or treatment plan.
• (b) Provides direct patient/client care by which
  the licensee
• (1) Performs basic nursing services as defined in
  subdivision (a)
• (2) Administers medications
• (3) Applies communication skills for the purpose
  of patient/client care and education and
• (4) Contributes to the development and
  implementation of a teaching plan related to
  self-care for the patient/client.

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2518.6. Performance Standards.

• (a) A licensed vocational nurse shall safeguard
  patients'/clients' health and safety by actions
  that include but are not limited to the
  following
• (1) Reporting to the Board acts specified in
  Sections 2878 and 2878.5 of the Business and
  Professions Code
• (2) Documenting patient/client care in accordance
  with standards of the profession and
• (3) Performing services in accordance with
  Section 125.6 of the Business and Professions
  Code.
• (b) A licensed vocational nurse shall adhere to
  standards of the profession and shall incorporate
  ethical and behavioral standards of professional
  practice which include but are not limited to the
  following
• (1) Maintaining current knowledge and skills for
  safe and competent practice
• (2) Maintaining patient/client confidentiality
• (3) Maintaining professional boundaries with the
  patient/client
• (4) Abstaining from chemical/substance abuse and
  
• (5) Cooperating with the Board during
  investigations as required by Section 2878.1 of
  the Business and Professions Code. (c) A
  violation of this section constitutes
  unprofessional conduct for purposes of initiating
  disciplinary action.

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Pass Rates for LVN Boards
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The ANA Code for Nurses defines professionalism,
as follows

• The nurse provides services with respect for
  human dignity and the uniqueness of the client,
  unrestricted by considerations of social or
  economic status, personal attributes, or the
  nature of health problems.
• The nurse safeguards the clients right to
  privacy by judiciously protecting information of
  a confidential nature.
• The nurse acts to safeguard the client and the
  public when health care and safety are affected
  by the incompetent, unethical, or illegal
  practice of any person.
• The nurse assumes responsibility and
  accountability for individual nursing judgments
  and actions.
• The nurse maintains competence in nursing.

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The ANA Code for Nurses defines professionalism,
as follows

• 6. The nurse exercises informed judgment and uses
  individual competence and qualifications as
  criteria in seeking consultation, accepting
  responsibilities, and delegating nursing
  activities to others.
• 7. The nurse participates in activities that
  contribute to the ongoing development of the
  professions body of knowledge.
• 8. The nurse participates in the professions
  efforts to implement and improve standards of
  nursing.
• 9. The nurse participates in the professions
  efforts to establish and maintain conditions of
  employment conducive to high quality nursing
  care.
• 10. The nurse participates in the professions
  effort to protect the public from misinformation
  and misrepresentation and to maintain the
  integrity of nursing.
• 11. The nurse collaborates with members of the
  health professions and other citizens in
  promoting community and national efforts to meet
  the health needs of the public.

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Practical Information

• Common Courtesy!
• Express your gratitude
• Smile.
• Recognize the achievements of others
• Respect the opinions and decisions of others,
  even if you disagree with them.
• Treat others with respect.
• Act kindly toward others without expecting
  anything in return.
• Respond to rudeness with kindness.
• Be gentle in your dealings with others.

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• Be respectful to everyone you meet
• Time
• Be flexible

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• Professional appearance
• Grooming
• Uniform
• Neat and clean
• Dont

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• Professional speech

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Nightingale Pledge

• I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the
  presence of this assembly, to pass my life in
  purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
  I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and
  mischievous, and will not take or knowingly
  administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my
  power to maintain and elevate the standard of my
  profession, and will hold in confidence all
  personal matters committed to my keeping and all
  family affairs coming to my knowledge in the
  practice of my calling. With loyalty will I
  endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and
  devote myself to the welfare of those committed
  to my care.