Introduction
The American Nurses Association describes nursing as, “the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to health and illness” (American Nurses Association, ANA, 2010). Nursing invokes a “care” approach. The ANA scope of practice is basically an outline stipulating the nurses’ approach in caring for patients. My scope of practice as a registered nurse will focus on helping individuals, families and communities to attain, recover and maintain optimal health and therefore better quality of life. My primary role as an RN will involve provision of care by attending to patients through coordinating and providing care by for instance administering prescribed medications. My scope also entails educating patients and the public on maintaining good health. My scope as a RN is in line with the ANA scope of work which has four essential features of nursing practice:-
- Nurses are supposed to pay full attention to the entire range of human experiences as well as responses to illnesses and health without restricting themselves to problem-focused orientations.
- Nurses ought to integrate objective data with a comprehensive understanding of the subjective experiences of individual patients
- Nurses are also supposed to apply scientific knowledge in the processes of diagnosing and treating ailments.
- Nurses are also supposed to be foster caring relationships with patients to facilitate healing and restoration of health. (ANA, 2010)
All these features of nursing practice will act as guiding principles in my role as a Registered Nurse.
- How your personal practice relates to your state's legal regulations and professional standards for nurses
My personal practice directly relates to the state’s legal regulations and professional standards since I will operate under a clearly stipulated legal mechanism. Upon my registration with ANA as a Registered Nurse (RN) I will be bound by the legally acclaimed nursing code of conduct and the stipulations of the State Nurse Practice Acts (Daly, Speedy & Jackson, 2009). These Acts govern nursing practices in given states and essentially the nursing license. In other words, my nursing practice will be subject to the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which I choose to practice. All Nurse Practice Act in different states shares common elements and these are outlined in the Model Nurse Practice Act as well as the Model Nursing Administrative Rules (MNAR) of 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 (ANA, 2010).
The state Nurse Practice acts stipulate the scope of the Practice and the Board of Nursing. In particular the Board of Nursing arbitrates in cases of discipline and violations of the provisions of the nursing acts and the nursing codes of ethics.
The State Nursing Acts also provide for the application of other statutes. This encompasses laws that regulate state agencies and issues affecting nurses such as their handling of pharmaceuticals. Moreover, the Acts standardizes issues in nursing such as abbreviations and titles. The standardization of nursing practice also approves of Nursing Education Programs, emergency relief operations by nurses and any other proceedings that all registered nurses may encounter (Daly, Speedy & Jackson, 2009).
The requirements for maintaining my license to practice as a registered nurse are subject to compliance with the Nurse Practice Act and abiding by other relevant roles. Moreover, I will be required to complete renewal forms and pay the required statutory fees.
- How you can use Provisions, 7, 8 and 9 to develop your professional nursing practice.
Fowler (2010) Provision 7 encourages individual nurses to use their own talents and interest to create a moral link (p. 100). In this regard, nurses are requested to take personal initiatives to offer services outside their workplaces. This way they create moral links with the general public and add to the trust between the public and the nursing professionals. This provision also advances the nursing profession by developing, maintaining and implementing nursing professional standards in administrative, clinical and educational practice.
Provision 8 of the nursing profession stipulates that nurses collaborate with other health care professionals and the general public to promote community, national and international efforts to meet healthcare needs. This provision includes health needs and concerns such as prevention of the spread of contagious diseases, immunization and vaccinations, maintenance of clean environment among others. Moreover, the provision states the responsibilities of nurses to the public. In this regard the provision urges nurses to exercise duty beyond the workplace and offer their services beyond their workplaces.
Provision 9 indicates the nursing ethics, and the nursing social ethics and professions. This provision covers the intersections of spirituality and ethics as well as religious ethics in nursing. This provision states that the nursing profession as represented by associations and its members are responsible for articulating nursing values and for maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession and its practice as well as shaping social policies. This provision covers the values such as integrity and confidentiality that nurses should uphold. It also urges for intraprofessional integrity and social reforms.
- How philosophical forces influence your practice.
The nursing philosophy contemplates the endeavors to which nurses dedicate themselves. Rumbold (1999) asserts that the nursing philosophy is therefore an embodiment of charisma, empathy, altruism and knowledge that has to be applied in the protection and enhancement of holistic health for all humanity. The philosophy covers the nurse’s practice in professional areas and also presses for the adherence of these ideals outside the workplace.
I believe the primary call of a nurse is to serve and as such the philosophical forces that will influence my nursing practice will be sued up in the word SERVE. This is an acronym meaning S-Safety of all my patients and the staff that I may be entitled to manage, E-Excellence in all that I will do, R-Respect for all people at all times, V-Value in all that I offer and E- Enthusiasm to my career.
- How ethical principles and theories, as well as, values influence your professional nursing practice.
Nursing ethical principles share many principles with medical principles such as non-maleficence , beneficence and the respect for autonomy. Besides these medical ethics nursing emphasizes on collaborative care, relationships and human dignity (Rumbold, 1999). The fact that nursing emphasizes more on nurture and care results in a distinct set of ethics for nursing professionals (ANA, 2010). These ethical principles and theories influence my professional nursing practice particularly in the area of cultivation of relationships with patients. Openness and honesty on my part to my patients is likely to result in trust from the patients (DeWit, 2009). They are thus able to open up more on how they are responding to treatment. This way, I as a nurse will help physicians in treating the patient and achieve speedier and more effective restoration of health.
Confidentiality is a cardinal ethical principle that all nurses should uphold. Nurses are in most cases in more contact with patients than any other medical professional and it is therefore prudent of them to maintain confidentiality with their patients. In this regard nurses need to ensure that they only disclose a patient’s information only to those who can use it to improve the health of the patient in question.
References
American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, Md: American Nurses Association.
Daly, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2009). Contexts of nursing: An introduction. Chatswood, N.S.W: Elsevier Australia.
DeWit, S. (2009). Fundamental Concepts And Skills for Nursing. Missouri: Saunders Elsevier. pp. 964.
Fowler, D. (2010) Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses. Reissue.
Rumbold, G (1999). Ethics in Nursing Practice. Balliere Tindall.
