Any work must obey specific rules and principles established for a particular profession. This allows people to see the primary goals they are pursuing through their everyday activities. In addition, such tenets are usually associated with universal human values, common for everyone. Therefore, their observance is ethically essential for the development of society. The presence of tenets is especially required in the nursing profession since it is inextricably linked with living people. Based on clear principles, nurses will provide the most complete and adequate care and feel needed. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two of the most critical nursing tenets.
The first tenet is related to what nurses should pay special attention to. It states that the primary commitment of a nurse is to a patient: individual, family, group, or population (McDermott-Levy, 2018). In other words, nurses should perceive human life as the highest value. Their job is exactly what makes people survive and function even with serious illnesses. Therefore, it is imperative to take care of their well-being, even if it sometimes hurts nurses’ ambitions.
In particular, rejection of high earnings is associated with this tenet. Undoubtedly, medicine is an area of professional activity that allows people to earn good money. However, by making this the highest goal, nurses will stop paying attention to patients. This should not be allowed in order not to harm people and provide them with quality medical services. In addition, nurses must have strong characters to meet this principle. Sometimes, a nurse’s work involves extreme stress, lack of sleep, and dealing with dire illnesses. Thus, starting their studies at a medical institution, nurses should understand what awaits them and prepare for it. The desire to help other people and responsibility to humanity will help them in this.
Another crucial nursing tenet is also closely related to the relationship between health care providers and patients. It states that nurses must maintain and protect patients’ rights, health, and safety (Alligood, 2017). Indeed, if nurses cannot provide the proper level of service to a person, this can lead to disastrous consequences. They must have a good education and understand the principles of the functioning of the human body. This is how they can take care of the health of patients and bring them back to normal. In addition, nurses need to be clear about what rights patients have. This will make it easier to resolve conflict situations and interact with patients more productively. In addition, even if a medical institution infringes upon patients’ rights, nurses will be able to stand up and defend these rights.
The long existence of this profession confirms the need for tenets among nurses. It is undeniably complex and involves constant pressure from various sides. Patients require ongoing care, and hospital managers can be unfair. In addition, nurses have a private life, which can also be influenced by work. It is the presence of clear moral values that can help cope with each of these aspects of nursing work. Thanks to them, nurses see their goals: they understand their work’s importance, which allows them to withstand various difficulties and obstacles. Hence, even in difficult times, they can pull themselves together and remember their main guiding principles. Clear support in the form of these tenets is a good help for productive work.
References
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing theorists and their work. Elsevier Health Sciences.
McDermott-Levy, R. (2018). Ethical principles and guidelines of global health nursing practice. Nursing Outlook, 66(5), 473-481.