Accountability

1
Accountability

• Foundations of Evidence Based practice (B71P02)

2
What is accountability?

• Accountability means that individuals are
  responsible for their actions and maybe asked to
  justify them
• Responsibility means being answerable for ones
  own actions
• The NMC (2008) state that
• Nurses and midwives hold a position of
  responsibility and other people rely on them.
  They are professionally accountable to the NMC,
  as well as having a contractual accountability to
  their employer and are accountable to the law for
  their actions.
• (NMC (2008) Accountability Advise Sheet.
  London, NMC.)

3
Why is it important in EBP

• NMC (2008) The Code Standards of conduct,
  performance and ethics for nurses and midwives
• As a professional, you are personally accountable
  for actions and omissions in your practice and
  must always be able to justify your decisions.
• You must always act lawfully, whether those laws
  relate to your professional practice or personal
  life.
• Failure to comply with this Code may bring your
  fitness to practise into question and endanger
  your registration.

4
NMC (2008) The Code contd.

• You must
• Provide a high standard of practice and care at
  all times
• Use the best available evidence
• You must deliver care based on the best available
  evidence or best practice.
• You must ensure any advice you give is evidence
  based if you are suggesting healthcare products
  or services
• You must ensure that the use of complementary or
  alternative therapies is safe and in the best
  interests of those in your care
• Keep your skills and knowledge up to date

5
Implications for you

• As a student
• You are not professionally accountable this
  lies with your supervising RN - you are learning
  the skills associated with this ready for
  registration
• You are personally accountable for your actions
  or omissions and may be held to account for these
  by the university or by the law
• Once qualified you become professionally
  accountable