Professionalism and professional values of nursing are expressed via ethical and moral values of nurses. In most cases, the moral rules and values are presented by the hospital where nurses are working. The social norms are also important as in this case the norms of conduct are included as the main paradigm for behavior and actions of nurses.
The professionalism of nurses is expressed via their desire and possibility to follow the rules they are imposed. The patients with psychosocial diseases/disorders are referred to the patients with mental disorders, in other words to the category of patients who require specific treatment.
Dwelling upon the principles of ethics and professionalism in psychiatry, it is impossible to avoid the principles which have been developed by American Medical Association. A medical worker is to provide a highly professional care respecting a personal dignity and rights of a patient, referring to personal honesty, and respecting the law. The rights of the patients are to be respected by the professional nurses and the confidence and privacy of the patients are to be followed.
Physician-patient relationships should be based on respect, honesty, confidentiality, beneficence, trust and autonomy. Dealing with patients with psychosocial diseases/disorders, nurses are to understand that such people require more attention due to their peculiar position and the attitude should be different (Principles of ethics and professionalism in psychiatry, 2001).
The moral responsibility before the mentally ill patients is higher as while treating these people the nurses are to apply to all possible spheres in medical care. The mentally ill patients may react differently. Much attention should be paid to cross-cultural linkages as in some cases the social-cultural peculiarities of a particular person may create difficulties. Professional nurses are to cope with the problem, get to know more about the point for conflict and make sure that a patient is comforted (Tait, 2008) as according to the Principles of ethics and professionalism in psychiatry (2001) psychiatrists are to function “in accordance with local law” (n.p.).
One of the main moral and ethical values of any nurse should be the desire and intention to help patients to recover. Recovering in mental disorders field is a complicated issue which depends not only on medical workers, but also from a patients and a family, their desire and force. A professionalism of the nurses is measured by their possibility to encourage mentally ill people for recovering. It is usually rather difficult as living in their worlds mentally ill patients do not pay much attention to those who surround them. The possibility of a nurse making sure that a patient has recovered is one of the main activities of the nurses’ professionalism.
In conclusion, it should be stated that having the common moral and ethical rules which are dictated by the society, the professional nurses are also to follow the personal desires of the clients and the hospital rules. Patience and the desire to be useful should be the main virtues of the professional nurses as the work with mentally ill people requires much attention and delicacy.
Professional nurses are to treat the mentally ill patients in accordance with their needs, thus, the nurses are to adapt to the environment of a patient. Moreover, professional nurses will always think about the positive result even when the hopes are little as the professionals always develop their knowledge and skills which may positively impact the future outcome.
Reference List
Principles of ethics and professionalism in psychiatry. (2001). Web.
Tait, C. L. (2008). Ethical Programming: Towards a Community-centered Approach to Mental Health and Addiction Programming in Aboriginal Communities. A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health, 6(1), 29-60.