Introduction
The nursing profession is of high importance as the main objective of it is to care for the patient’s health. Due to the seriousness that the nature of work has, it is crucial for nurses to uphold the highest standards of work. The way in which a medical worker performs the duties influences the health outcomes of the patients (“The ANA standards for excellence code”, n.d.). The American Nurse Association has developed nine tenets to guide a nurse in his or her practice. The chosen provisions from the Nine Tenets of the Code of Ethics for Nurses are Provision 1 and Provision 5.
Provision 1
Provision one states that it is essential for a nurse to respect the dignity of a person. Furthermore, each individual should be treated with respect and compassion. Although the rule should apply to any relationship between people, in nursing practice it is essential to understand that the patients are free to make their choices regarding their health. I will apply the tenet in the practice setting with my patients by establishing good relationships with people and by providing them with the information they need in order to make their healthcare decisions. In addition, I will treat the people around with respect and compassion. At the same time, I will respect the informed choices that my patients make even in cases when it may appear that other decisions would have had better outcomes.
The purpose of the tenet is to ensure that medical professionals treat the patients and colleges properly. Sinclair et al. (2016) state that the patients regard compassion as a sign of quality. Thus, compassion and respect for others are essential in the nursing practice. An example of the application of the tenet is a case of a patient in a bad condition who chooses to avoid treatment due to personal reasons. In this situation, it is crucial to treat the person with dignity and respect the decision he or she has made. It is important to uphold the tenet in healthcare as each person should have a possibility to choose how to care for one’s health. The tenet can help me enhance my practice, as the patients will be sure they can receive fair and compassionate treatment from me.
Provision 5
Provision 5 indicates the importance of remembering to take care of oneself for the medical staff. I understand that it is easy to get overly involved in the patient’s issues and forget about personal health. However, it is impossible to perform the job properly when one’s health is in bad condition. In addition, a nurse can serve as an example for patients on how properly take care of health. Furthermore, the tenet states that it is an obligation for a nurse to constantly work on self-improvement. With my patients, I will strive to promote the importance of healthcare.
The purpose of the tenet is to ensure that nurses remember the importance of personal health. Additionally, it serves as a reminder that staying up to date with the current research will maximize the effectiveness of the patient care outcomes. In practice, the tenet can be applied by going to annual physical examinations and by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition, reading nursing journals can help work on complicated cases or provide a new perspective to the old ones. It is important to uphold the tenet as it promotes the importance of self-care for nurses. Such a nurse can have better knowledge and provide quality care for the patients, which can enhance my practice as a nurse.
Overall, a medical professional should adhere to the specific rules in his or her practice. Nurses should utilize the nine tenets to provide the patients with efficient care. In my practice, the tenets will help me improve the healthcare outcomes of my patients.
References
The ANA standards for excellence code. (n.d.). Web.
Sinclair, S., Norris, J. M., McConnell, S. J., Chochinov, H. M., Hack, T. F., Hagen, N. A., McClement, S., & Bouchal, S. R. (2016). Compassion: A scoping review of the healthcare literature. BMC Palliative Care, 15(6), 1-16. Web.