The performance criteria I wish to improve on is functioning within an ethical framework. Nurses are obligated to provide quality care while navigating complex relationships with patients, families, and colleagues, wherein ethical conflict commonly occurs. Existing frameworks help nurses maintain integrity in these morally complex situations, and a lack of preparation could potentially undermine my future ability to work with other team members and advocate for my patients. To fulfill the expected standards of the patient-provider relationship, I will pursue a path of self-education and familiarize myself with the professional codes of ethics and academic articles on intercultural competence.
The Practice Standards for the Specialist Emergency Nurse cites the International Council for Nurses (ICN) Code of Ethics as the most relevant ethical framework for nurses (College of Emergency Nursing Australasia, 2020). Its four principal elements are nurses and people, nurses and practice, nurses and the profession, and nurses and co-workers. I will familiarize myself with the Code through extensive reading. Additionally, I follow the “Ethics for Nurses” free online course on the website nurse.com. It aims to provide the fundamentals of ethics in nursing care and illustrate potential ethical dilemmas that might arise in daily practice. The ICN Code of Ethics and “Ethics for Nurses” online course will be the basis of my ethical self-education.
Furthermore, an integral aspect of professional ethics is recognizing and respecting diversity and the influence of culture on clinical decision-making (College of Emergency Nursing Australasia, 2020). Therefore, I will search online databases for recent academic articles on intercultural competence in healthcare. I wish to avoid unintentionally disrespecting my patient’s cultural values because of a lack of knowledge or cultural awareness. Learning about other cultures and reading relevant scholarly literature will help me develop my intercultural competence.
Reference List
College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (2020) The Practice Standards for the Specialist Emergency Nurse (4th ed.). Victoria: CENA.