As professionals, nurses have a code of ethics that dictates the essential aspects of their job. Healthcare is a particularly sensitive field that concerns human lives, so if one’s values diverge from the provisions, they are probably not suited for the occupation (Olsen, 2017). Although all of the tenets are important, only two will be highlighted: a nurse’s commitment to the patient and diverse contributions through research, policies, and standards. These tenets appear comprehensible and easy to apply to one’s practice, as the required attitude is already established.
The second provision highlights the patient as nursing’s foundational commitment. It means that a nurse prioritizes the patient, which can be represented by an individual or the entire population, and disregards other loyalties for their sake (Fowler, 2015). For instance, in case there is a conflict of interest, a nurse should always choose the outcome that benefits the patient, even if it is detrimental to the healthcare worker (Fowler, 2015).
One might also have to defy certain regulations to ensure the patient’s proper treatment. The tenet is essential to uphold because many situations directly threaten a patient’s wellbeing, so they need guaranteed support due to their vulnerability. As for my practice, is committed to the patient will always seem the right solution and lead to a positive outcome, while having other loyalties may cause repercussions.
The seventh provision refers to a nurse’s diverse contribution to the profession. It means that one should advance it through scholarly inquiries, research, standard development, and policy generation (Fowler, 2015). For instance, a nurse’s duty is to conduct research on various aspects of the practice and disseminate the results (Fowler, 2015). Participating in the development of new standards and policies with an impact outside of one’s institution is also mandatory (Fowler, 2015). Such actions are important to ensure that nursing is up-to-date and considers topical issues. As for my practice, I only use other specialists’ findings, which is instrumental in problem-solving, but contributing to the field and enriching it would be an honor.
In conclusion, the tenets appear crucial because they do not simply describe what is right – the provisions reveal what one should do as far as all aspects of the profession are concerned. The discussed tenets highlight that a nurse should always prioritize the patient and develop the field. The ideas are connected as one advances nursing with a certain goal – to benefit and support the patient.
References
Fowler, M. D. M. (2015). Guide to the Code of Ethics for nurses with interpretative statements: Development, interpretation, and application (2nd ed.). American Nurses Association.
Olsen, D. P. (2017). What nurses talk about when they are talking about ethics. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 117(11), 63–67. Web.