Introduction
As healthcare professionals, nurses play a vital role in promoting and maintaining their patients’ health and well-being. To achieve this, nurses must adhere to ethical standards, display professional traits, follow nursing theory, and uphold ethical principles. The ANA Code of Ethics is a set of ethical standards that outlines fundamental principles and values that nurses should exhibit in their professional practice (American Nurses Association, 2015).
The code provides guidance and direction for nurses to deliver safe, compassionate, and ethical care to patients. Some of the critical professional traits include respect for human dignity, collaboration, effective communication skills, and integrity. These characteristics are valuable to nurses because they enable them to provide patients with the best possible care and advance the team’s goals.
Nursing theories also aid in formulating nursing interventions, interpreting patient behavior, and developing nursing practice guidelines. In addition, ethical concepts like autonomy and beneficence provide a framework for ethical nursing practice and guide ethical decision-making. This work focuses on applying the ANA Code of Ethics, professional qualities, nursing theories, and ethical principles in nursing practice.
Professional Goals
As a dedicated nursing professional, I plan on pursuing a role as a Nurse Practitioner. The role of a Nurse Practitioner is multifaceted and involves a wide range of responsibilities that require high-level critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills (Mileski et al., 2020). This position appeals to me because it allows me to comprehensively treat patients, promote health and well-being, and assist individuals in enhancing their quality of life.
The Nurse Practitioner job is attractive because of the Nurse Practitioner’s dual responsibility for patient care and coordination among other medical specialists. Managing patients with complex health issues, developing treatment plans, and prescribing drugs all fall within the Nurse Practitioner’s broad scope of practice. To fulfill these roles, I will need to stay up to date on the latest developments in medicine and refine my clinical expertise to benefit my patients.
Professional Traits
Respect for Human Dignity
Respect for human dignity is a fundamental right of every human being, regardless of their background, origin, or beliefs. Nurses must place human dignity at the forefront of their practice because it is fundamental to patients’ well-being (American Nurses Association, 2015). When nurses respect their patients’ dignity, they are more likely to provide better care, leading to improved health outcomes. Moreover, respecting human dignity can create an environment of trust in which patients feel respected and valued, and are more likely to engage in their care. As such, respect for human dignity is a vital professional trait that nurses must bring to interdisciplinary teams.
Collaboration
One of the most essential features of multidisciplinary teams is their ability to work together. In multidisciplinary teams, nurses must cooperate with doctors, therapists, and other experts from many fields to deliver the best possible care to patients. Collaboration is more than just getting things done together; it also involves listening to and learning from one another. Collaboration between nurses and other medical professionals enables nurses to draw on the knowledge and experience of others to provide optimal patient care (Mileski et al., 2020). Moreover, a culture of cooperation can be established through collaboration, leading to increased job satisfaction and better patient outcomes.
Integrity
Integrity is an essential professional quality that nurses must contribute to interdisciplinary teams. Nurses need to be honest and truthful while carrying out their duties. They need to act ethically and respect the standards of their profession. When nurses act honestly and sincerely, they foster trust, enabling patients to have faith that they will receive excellent care. Nurses who act with integrity are more likely to accept responsibility for their actions and grow from their experiences.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is an essential professional trait nurses need to bring to interdisciplinary teams. Nurses must be skilled communicators to interact with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals. Any successful nurse-patient dialogue allows for the exchange of information, the exploration of treatment choices, and the participation of patients and their families in care decision-making (Mileski et al., 2020). Furthermore, a culture of openness in which everyone is aware of the situation can be fostered through effective communication, resulting in happier patients and better treatment.
Provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics
The first provision that might affect my work as a Nurse Practitioner concerns patients’ rights. The right to privacy, autonomy, informed consent, and patient respect are all guaranteed under this clause (American Nurses Association, 2015). This means giving each patient my undivided attention while honoring their wishes, choices, and principles.
In my practice, I will always give my patients all the facts they need to understand their condition and treatment choices. The second provision that would influence my practice concerns patients’ right to self-determination. Care providers must respect their patients’ right to make medical decisions and act in accordance with those decisions (American Nurses Association, 2015). My goal as a Nurse Practitioner is to equip my patients with the knowledge and tools they need to make educated decisions about their health and well-being. I promise to provide my patients with up-to-date, accurate information about their conditions and available treatments.
Nursing Theory and Theorist
Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory is the nursing theory and theorist that have most influenced my professional practice as a Nurse Practitioner. Orem’s theory suggests that all individuals are responsible for providing self-care and that nurses should assist individuals in meeting their self-care needs when they cannot do so independently (Smith, 2019). This theory is relevant to my practice as a Nurse Practitioner because it emphasizes the importance of patient education and empowerment.
My medical practice is devoted to delivering individualized treatment focusing on the patient. I work hard to provide a safe and supportive setting where healing may take place. I know empowering patients with information and self-assurance is crucial to helping them take charge of their health and reach this goal. I can develop unique treatment strategies for each patient using Orem’s theory as a framework.
Dorothea Orem has made significant advancements in the nursing profession. As a result of her idea, nurses now place greater emphasis on patient education and agency (Smith, 2019). Evidence-based practice recommendations, now fundamental to contemporary healthcare, have been shaped in part by this trend. To a large extent, I credit my career success as a Nurse Practitioner to her philosophy, which has helped me grow professionally and become a better caregiver.
Safeguarding Ethical Principles
I recently cared for a 75-year-old female patient with a history of hypertension and diabetes. She was diagnosed with a heart attack and was scheduled for a cardiac catheterization. During the pre-procedure discussion, the patient expressed concerns about undergoing the procedure due to past experiences with medical procedures that were traumatizing. As the nurse assigned to her care, I took the following actions to safeguard the ethical principles of beneficence and respect for autonomy.
Beneficence
I provided the patient with information regarding the procedure and explained the benefits of cardiac catheterization. I reassured her that the operation would help doctors diagnose her heart issue and provide the best course of therapy to save her from having further heart attacks. I assured her that the surgery was minimally invasive and that the medical staff would closely monitor her to ensure nothing went wrong. To uphold the principle of beneficence, I ensured she had all the facts before she made her decision, so she could weigh the risks and benefits of the treatment on her own.
Respect for Autonomy
After providing her with the necessary information, I asked the patient if she would like to proceed with the procedure. She expressed reluctance and said she needed more time to think about it. I respected her decision and informed the healthcare team that the patient was not ready to proceed with the procedure (Hansson & Fröding, 2021). By respecting the patient’s autonomy and allowing her to make her own healthcare decisions, I upheld the ethical principle of respect for autonomy.
Conclusion
Completing this task has helped me deepen my understanding of the importance of integrating the ANA Code of Ethics, professional traits, nursing theories, and ethical principles into daily nursing practice. I have gained an appreciation for the value of upholding professional and ethical standards in nursing through study, reflection, and application. On top of that, I know how important it is to integrate nursing theory, professional characteristics, and ethical values into every component of my nursing profession. I have resolved to consistently provide outstanding care to my patients.
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics. American Nurses Association.
Hansson, S. O., & Fröding, B. (2021). Ethical conflicts in patient-centered care. Clinical Ethics, 16(2), 55-66.
Mileski, M., Pannu, U., Payne, B., Sterling, E., & McClay, R. (2020). The impact of nurse practitioners on hospitalizations and discharges from long-term nursing facilities: A systematic review. In Healthcare (vol. 8, no. 2, p. 114). MDPI.
Smith, M. C. (2019). Nursing theories and nursing practice. FA Davis.