Chrystal Vandevort
Professionalism of Nursing
Final Exam
, nursing is a profession.
Professional nurses are more prepared than LPNs or associate degree nurses.
Professional nurses practice using only evidence based practices.
Education is continuous through out the nurses career.
, according to the Professional Nursing Concepts and Challenges textbook, as "the doing of good". Autonomy (pg.119), is everyone decides for themselves after receiving adequate information, their own values and free from coercion. Fidelity (p.121)
is faithfulness or honoring one's commitments or promises. Veracity(p120) is simply defined as "telling the truth."
An example of all of these is captured in this scenario:
An 18 yr. old Caucasian male was found unconscious and unresponsive on the side of the road. A good Samaritan called the paramedics, and on the way to the hospital he stopped breathing. The EMTs perform CPR and were able to retrieve vital signs.
In searching for identification for the 18 year old they find small bags of heroin.
When they arrive at the hospital the paramedics relay their findings to the medical team, which they decided in lieu of this information, to give him an opiod antagonist, Narcan.
He slowly awoke from his comatose like state, but refused to talk.
The nurse that helped to revive him, explain what had happened and why he's in the hospital.
As soon as the nurse was done explaining the situation to the patient, his mother comes in hysterical. The nurse grabs her to calm her down and tell her that everything is o.k.
The mother looks over at her son, rushes to the bed to embrace him. Just as she wraps her arms around her son, he squirms and moans in pain. "What's wrong with him?" she cries to the nurse. The nurse explains to the mother that he has a few cracked ribs due to the paramedics performing CPR on her son. She explains that he may be in some pain for awhile but that he would be o.k.
The nurse kindly excuses herself to check on another patient. After she was through with the patient, the young man's mother corners her in a hallway. She asks the nurse what brought her son into the hospital. The nurse tell the mother what was found and admits that she is not for sure if that was what caused him to stop breathing, but it was on his person. The mother cries and tells the nurse that he has been struggling with an addiction for two years.
The nurse ask the mother if she would like to talk to someone to help find a place for him to receive drug treatment. The mother accepts her offer with many thanks
The autonomy is shown in the story with the mother deciding to talk to someone about drug treatment for her son. Veracity was shown by the nurse telling the mother about the cracked ribs and the heroin found on his person at the time of the arrival to the hospital.
Fidelity was shown here by the nurses commitment to find other resources for the clients drug abuse after his discharge. Finally, beneficence is defined by the job of the nurse.
3. I don't believe the number of pathways to enter into the practice of professional nursing is confusing. I do, however, feel it is challenging.
This is indeed an asset to me as a student nurse.
Taking pre requisite classes such as; Sociology and Psychology, has equipped me with tools so that I may be able to better understand and effectively communicate with my patients. The class work loads has allowed me to better appreciate the hectic, and stressful working environment a professional nurse has to endure on a day to day basis.
4. Not enough health promotion programs.
Health promotion maintenance should be taught in schools so that it would be able to reach everyone on the same level.
Even though we have access to the newest and best medical equipment, most Americans can't afford to go to the doctor or pay for their prescription(s).
the health care system shifted its emphasis from illness to health promotion there would much less illnesses such as heart disease.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among African Americans.
Free smoking cessation classes, education on diet and exercise, would not make much money for the insurance companies and hospitals.
Unfortunately, we live in a country that values wealth rather than health.
of Medicine was established in 1970. It is a non profit organization that "serves as an adviser to the nation to improve health."
Reference
Professional Nursing : Concepts and Challenges 5th edition; Kay Kittrell Chitty
and Beth Perry Black.
