Professional values of nursing
Laura Mcclymont-Allen
Nur403
July 19, 2010
Stephanie Merck
Professional values of nursing
Professional values guide the decisions and actions we make in our careers. As nurses we are responsible for caring for patients during birth, death, illness and healing. If we are not aware of the decisions and actions to take it would be impossible to provide our patients with exceptional care. The values that are the foundation of the nursing profession are altruism, autonomy, human dignity, and social justice. In this paper I will define each value and describe their impact on nurses and nursing students.
Altruism refers to the concern for the welfare and well being of others without personal gains or
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They know what needs to get done and when it needs to be done. They understand that they are the only one that can decide their academic future.
Human dignity is respect for an individual regardless of sex, race, or gender. This ethical principle promotes respect for life, freedom and privacy. A nurse can promote dignity by providing patient privacy during nursing care procedures, allowing independence, and upholding the cleanliness of the patient. For the nurse, human dignity does not only apply to patients but also to our peer and colleagues. The nursing student can promote human dignity by being respectful to his or her fellow classmates, faculty, and staff. They can also promote dignity by decreasing prejudice, judgment and competition among students (Shaw & Degazon, 2008).
Social justice refers to fairness (Potter & Griffin-Perry, 2009). In the health care field it is the fair distribution of health care resources regardless of socioeconomic background. As nurses it is our responsibility to identify and minimize social barriers; making it easy for any member of society to gain access. To promote social justice, systems have to be implemented so that the resources are fairly distributed. For example, placing organ recipient on a list and selecting them through a lottery system. This ensures that the organ been donated is not going to someone who is more financially stable. Nursing students can take advantage of the resources available to them through their
In order to understand human dignity in professional nursing, it must first be understood in a general aspect. Dignity can be described as how individuals perceive themselves, as well as how others perceive them. If a person has dignity, they have self-worth and self-respect, and others identify that they are respectable. Human dignity could then be explained as having respect for an individual regardless of their circumstances because dignity is a characteristic instilled in the person, and they should not have to prove their worth for it.
Altruism is when the actions of a person promote the best consequences for others, yet do not benefit the person who performed the act. Abruzzi and McGandy (2006) explain that Auguste Comte developed the term to support his ethical stance that humans are morally obliged to serve the interests of others,
For as long as I can remember I always had a desire to care for those in need, and I felt this ultimately led me to nursing as a career choice. I feel most rewarded when I am serving and caring for others, and my personal attitude is one that is centered on compassion and service. The term philosophy is said to be an analysis and concepts expressing fundamental beliefs. My philosophy of nursing includes the knowledge of medicine in combination with relational, compassionate care that respects the dignity of each patient. My philosophy focuses on the empowerment each patient in the delivery of holistic nursing care. This paper will explore the values I feel are necessary in relating to patients as well as health professionals, nursing
Everyone has values, but which values we find to be the most important can vary. Our values are what we all use to make decisions in our daily, personal, and professional lives. In this paper I am going to talk about my top five values, and what each one means to me, and how it fits into my future plans. I will conclude with how I see these values helping me in my future career of being a Registered Nurse and what got me to this point.
Nursing is generally viewed as a simple profession where you learn to take blood pressure, temperature, and smile. However, in reality, nurses are the most reliable people the vulnerable population trust during the time of need. The vulnerable population includes the mentally challenged, the unborn, those with few financial or social resources and those with cases as the incarcerated and the immigrants. The nurses also play an important role in promoting social justices. The nurses apply the ethical principles of justice to care for this venerable population with very limited funds. To provide nursing care to this population, nurses avoid to be judgmental
Altruism is the selflessness acts of an individual in which they involve themselves into the lives of other individuals in the hopes of positively affecting their feelings and/or well-beings. “Altruism and empathy permit the assessment of the extent to which volunteers perform voluntary service for selfless reasons” (Veludo-de-Oliveira, Pallister, & Foxall, 2015, p. 375). Veludo-de-Oliveira, Pallister, and Foxall believe in order for an interaction to be an altruistic one, “Firstly, the act must have the intention of benefit-ing others; secondly, the act must be initiated voluntarily by the helper; and thirdly, there should be no expectation of any reward from external sources.” (2015, p. 378).
The literature made distinctions between having dignity, being treated with dignity, and giving dignity to others (Fenton & Mitchell, 2002). Individual’s dignity is affected by the treatment received from others, and it is reflected when the nurse values and respects the patient. According to Haddock (1996), in order to maintain or promote patient’s dignity, the nurse has to first possess dignity, and treat patients as worthy and important when they are most vulnerable. Listening, caring, and attending to others’ needs all portray the giving of dignity.
In my opinion, nursing is a well-educated profession not only to prevent and protect the public from illness and injury, but to facilitate the curing or alleviating their suffering from illness by patient centered holistic caring. Nurses are the main work force in the health care system, they are working in hospitals, nursing homes, community care sites, and other health care settings. As a nurse, I must respect and listen to the patients as individuals. I need to provide nonjudgemental care to those in need regardless of their social classes, religious beliefs, financial and cultural differences. I must consider the patient’s background, assessments, personal values and beliefs as a whole to achieve this goal. I strive to be an health advocate
Dignity is a core element of nursing care. In nurses' clinical practice, maintaining the dignity of patients is an important issue because a lack of dignity in care can affect the health and recovery of patients. To treat a patient with dignity is to treat them in a way that shows they are valued and important, in a way that is appropriate and respectful to the individual. A patient needs to feel safe and secure in the nurses care and should be made feel comfortable, in control and valued at all times.
I agree that humans should be treated with dignity right from birth. However each person values different things differently and thinks about self-worth in a different way. One might feel his/her loss of dignity when they have to give up their own clothes and wear a hospital gown whereas, other might feel that their dignity is adequately maintained. Since Canada is a pluralistic society, people from different part of the world reside here. So, whenever a patient arrives in hospital, nurses are obliged to respect their values and beliefs. The way anyone treats people is the reflection of the respect one feels for them. In nursing care, recognizing the vulnerability of the patient to loss of dignity is a primary ethical obligation. Supporting patient dignity is an important aspect of nursing so, the role of nurses in preserving and promoting dignity of vulnerable population is not only crucial but also challenging. These are the ways that nurses can preserve dignity in
Webster’s Dictionary defines altruism as “feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people and a lack of selfishness.” An altruist would go out of their way to help others, although there may be more basic feelings that would make one act this way. Robert Prentice, a professor at the McCombs School of Business, talks in a blog post that shame and guilt do a great deal in guiding one’s moral actions. But he also says that, “Empathy appears to be the key
A fundamental principle that underlies all nursing practice is respect for inherent dignity, worth, unique
Nursing is a profession where nurses obtain and maintain professional certification if available in the area of expertise ("American Nurses Association (ANA) Nursing," 2010, P-132). They work as leader as matter of protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities. The nurse maintain compassionate and caring relationship with person and colleagous( ANA, Nursing, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to define the personal definition of nursing and professional value of this concept. This paper is also defined the term of nurse, patient, health and environment, and how these terms are important for nursing. This will also inform the reader of author that explores the personal and professional value of the nursing and how this values are related to the Regis Mission.
As far back as Florence Nightingale, professionalism and ethics have been the cornerstone of nursing practice. “Ethical values and practices are the foundation upon which moral actions in professional practice are based” ( LaSala & Bjarnason, 2010). Core professional nursing values (CPNV) are taught and instructed upon in nursing programs. This paper will explore and define the CPNV of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justice. Although these values are all individual characteristics, I will show that they are all intertwined in the path of care that an ethical practicing nurse walks every day with her patients, without even thinking about it.
Nurses are responsible for taking care of their patients, who deserve safe and effective care. I believe that a nurse’s values are reflected in their care. As a nurse plans out his/her care, core values are at the center of his/her decisions. Values guide a nurse in difficult situations which can have a positive effect on the patient/nurse relationship. Patients, regardless of culture, deserve safe competent care and it is every health professional’s obligation to see that it happens.