How do a nurse's fundamental duties, as described by the Hippocratic Oath and Nightingale Pledge, influence a nurse's practice and decision making?
‘Instructor’s name’
Abstract
Every profession has a set of ethical codes or guidelines intended to help their practitioners make critical decisions. The Hippocratic Oath and the Nightingale pledge are two such guidelines which lay down the values and responsibilities need to be adhered in nursing. The Nightingale pledge was initially formulated by Lystra E. Gretter, in the year 1893 and today this is considered the foundation for nursing ethics. Gretter used the Hippocratic Oath taken by the physicians, as the basis for this pledge and named it after Florence Nightingale, as a tribute to her unparalleled services to the community and pride she brought to her profession. (Jec, 2012)
The essence of the pledge can be summarized into the following points. A nurse should
- Practice the profession faithfully
- Serve with compassion and loyalty to her patients
- Not administer any harmful substances
- Give complete assistance to physician and
- Give total dedication to the care of the patients. (Jec , 2012)
The foremost importance of such guidelines is to, aid in ethical decision making process and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of a nurse. Any profession involves ethical decisions but it is more frequent in a profession like nursing, because a nurse is entrusted with the enormous responsibility of looking after an ailing person. Nurses in the course of their profession have to make many decisions – some in organizational or functional matters and some would be literally in life and death matters. (Dahnke, 2009)
So this profession needs certain set of ethical codes, which a nurse can look upon in times of crisis, to guide her in making the correct choice. Nursing involves more moral aspects than any other profession. Nurses are given the authority and responsibility to do what is right for the health and well being of their patients and to keep them away from harm. Such codes enable the nursing community to discharge these duties with justice and care. (Dahnke, 2009)
There are very few professions which offer an individual, job satisfaction and an opportunity to serve the community. Nursing is one such rare field where welfare of many people lies in the decision made by the individual practicing this profession. So, shared wisdom and direction imparted by such code of ethics can help a nurse make many crucial ethical decisions and perform her duties properly.
Citations
Arlene Orhon Jec. Everyday Ethics for Nurses. Retrieved from http://ce.nurse.com/60097/everyday-ethics-for-nurses/coursepage/. Sepetember 12, 2012. Web. Accessed on May 23, 2013.
Michael D. Dahnke. The Role of the American Nurses Association Code in Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?pageid=864590#50. April, 2009. Web. Accessed on May 23, 2013.
