Development of Nursing
A profession, as defined by B. Black, is "work requiring advanced training and usually involving mental rather than manual effort. Usually has a code of ethics and a professional organization" (Black, 2014, p. 353). In contrast to this definition, there are defining characteristics that separate an occupation from a profession. A person in an occupation can be considered performing a job as opposed to someone in a profession that is said to have a career. Occupational jobs typically have on the job training, and the skills required to be proficient can be learned quickly, usually not requiring advanced education. In contrast, a person in a profession typically has many years of training, along with an advanced educational degree. There are many other comparison of characteristics of occupations and professions which will not be discussed here, however it is important to know that many professions frequently began as an occupation but then developed tasks in the job requiring higher education. At the same time organizations were formed, work standards were determined, and code of ethics was established. This process where occupations evolved to professional status became known in the early 1900's as "professionalism."
The oldest recognized professions dating at least as far back to medieval and early modern times were divinity, medicine, and law. They were also referred to as "learned professions." Nursing is no longer considered a vocation and its professional status continues to be a topic of debate. Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, established the fundamentals of professional nursing in 1860 with the founding of the first nursing school at St Thomas' Hospital in Lon...
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... from across the nation. These leaders created the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretative Statements (or Code of Ethics), which was adopted by the ANA (Matthews, 2012). The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements provides a framework for nurses to use in ethical analysis and decision-making. The Code of Ethics establishes the ethical standard for the profession. The Code of Ethics for nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. The Code of Ethics strengthens the interests of the nursing profession by providing guidance for ethical relationships, responsibilities, behaviors, and decision-making. Nurses can also use the code as a means of self-evaluation and self-reflection, as well as means for advocating quality
A code of ethics provides a standard by which nurses conduct themselves and their practice, observing ethical obligations of the profession and providing quality care. To achieve its purpose, a code of ethics must be understood, internalized, and used by nurses in all aspects of their work” (Aliakvari, 2015, p. 494).
In the code of ethics, the very first ethical principles that nurses are expected to uphold in order to exemplify that they are competent professionals are autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. That is, nurses as professionals are expected to advocate for their patients while preserving their respect and dignity and
What does it mean to be a profession and a professional? A profession is more than a job, it is a career for someone that wants to be part of society. A professional is someone who is competent in their chosen sector and/or career and maintain
The Code of Ethics for Nurses was created to be a guide for nurses to perform their duties in a way that is abiding with the ethical responsibilities of the nursing profession and quality in nursing care. The Code of Ethics has excellent guidelines for how nurses should behave, however; these parameters are not specific. They do not identify what is right and wrong, leaving nurses having to ultimately make that decision. Ethics in nursing involves individual interpretation based on personal morals and values. Nursing professionals have the ethical accountability to be altruistic, meaning a nurse who cares for patients without self-interest. This results in a nurse functioning as a patient advocate, making decisions that are in the best interest of the patient and practicing sound nursing ethics.
Registered nurses abide by a code of ethics as set forth by the American Nurses Association. Some of the ethics nurses live out are: commitment to the patient, practice with compassion and respect, accountability and responsibility for owns actions and collaborating with other health care providers (Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2015). Nurses practice the code of ethics on a routine basis by employing the six fundamental concepts established by the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN).
One of the biggest obstacles of nursing is transitioning from the publics view of them being a vocation rather than a profession. The leading factor in this perception is the inability to define what a nurse is and what their job entails. The nursing community could put an end to not being perceived as a profession by putting into practice a set of standards. The biggest standard is implementing a baccalaureate degree as the entry level of practice. With the ability to define the starting position, you move away from a scattered perception of who a nurse is and begin to pinpoint exact qualities a nurse has to do their job.
Nursing has always been a key career in the health care system. Although it is not often focused on in media and stories surrounding health care, nursing is a career of great importance. If any patient was asked about their experience at a hospital or a care center, many will mention the capability and care that they received from the nurses. The health care system could not function efficiently, if at all, if nurses were not present to perform their part. Nurses are more than just physicians support staff. Of interest in this paper is why people choose to study nursing in university or college. From students just graduating high school to mature student who have prior degrees or education, nursing is a popular choice as a path to study
First it is important to identify what a profession is. A profession is a paid occupation which has involved extensive or prolonged training to equip individuals within the area with skills, knowledge and competencies which provide them with the expertise they need to support their organisations.
Author Richard DeGeorge asserts the importance of all professions to maintain ethical codes, stating, “The very exercise of developing a code is in itself worthwhile; it forces a large number of people...to think through in a fresh way their mission and the important obligations they as a group and as individuals have with respect to society as a whole” (1997). Including the documentation of Florence Nightingale’s pledge in the 1800’s, nursing has always maintained a standard code of ethics and practice (). The American Nurses Association has one of the most current, formal code of ethics for nurses, but on a global scale, all nurses are to adhere by and follow similar ethical principles as those adopted by the International Council of Nurses. Similarly, in the United States, nurses are bound in their discipline to follow the guidelines established by HIPAA, centering on patient privacy. Lastly, within the states, all nurses are required upon completion from a program of study to pass a state licensing exam. It is a discipline that adheres to high standards of care. Thus, the level of professionalism in nursing is visibly evident by their unique ethical code and standards of
As we know everything has its own history likewise nursing has its own history and it is most important aspect of any field. Nursing is believed as an oldest art and youngest to professions. This word is coming from Latin word nutricius which means nourishment. The first recorded nurse is in 2700 BC in which ancient Egyptian hired woman for child birth. The period of 1600-1850 is considered as darkest period in nursing history. Hospitals and health care setting were charitable institute, there weren’t any trained staffs. No formal education of nursing to care of sick people was a...
The American Nurses Association created guidelines for the profession including, a set clear rules to be followed by individuals within the profession, Code of Ethics for Nurses. Written in 1893, by Lystra Gretter, and adopted by the ANA in 1926, The Code of Ethics for Nurses details the role metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics have within the field (ANA, 2015). Moral obligation for an individual differs within professions than it does within an individual’s personal life, so the code of ethics was written to establish rules within the profession. The moral obligation to provide quality care include the fundamental principles of respect for persons, integrity, autonomy, advocacy, accountability, beneficence, and non-maleficence. The document itself contains nine provisions with subtext, all of which cannot be addressed within this paper however, core principals related to the ethical responsibilities nurses have will be
The nursing code of ethics has a very standard definition. It is the base on how nurses should guide themselves in conduct by making the right decision regarding ethical issues. According to the National Student Nurses Association “students of nursing have a responsibility to society in learning the academic theory and clinical skills needed to provide nursing care” (2003). In the clinical setting nurses have a lot of responsibilities while caring for an ill patient, they have the obligation to practice their profession with compassion, love, and respect the uniqueness of each patient, as nurses we are not supposed to deny care to a patient because of their economic status, their skin color, race, or the nature of health problems, we are here to help the people in need in particular those of susceptible populations. The NSNA states that the code of conduct is based on an understanding that to practice nursing as a student is an agreement that trust and honesty is depended on us by society. The announcement of the code provided direction for the nursing student in the personal development of an ethical foundation and not limited to the academic or clinical environment but can assist in the holistic development of a person. (National Student Nurses Association, 2003)
The first nurses were usually women of the community who were often paid to take care of the sick. The most popular nurses were wet nurses who were women who was ready to have a child, a woman who had a child that didn’t survive birth, or who could feed more that one child. All nurses at this time would work at someones house because there was no such thing as a hospital until 1751, but even then people didn’t think of them as a good and safe place to go.
Ethics asses the values, morals, and principles of nurses. Legal codes or laws are rules established by our government. It’s important that nurses have a clear and comprehensive understanding of ethical and legal codes within their career. The understanding of these codes is essential for nurses to safely practice and to protect their patients. Nurses must abide by these principles or face the consequences of legal action. These principles include autonomy, utilitarianism, confidentiality, and many others. Autonomy is the agreement to respect ones right to determine a course of action, while utilitarianism is what is best for most people as defined in American Nurses Association. In order to give you a
There are many factors that have influenced nursing as we know it today. It is forever evolving and changing with the times as more medical advances are made and new things are learned. Nurses of the past have changed nursing now, and nurses of the present will change nursing for the future. The definition of nursing is forever changing as new things are brought to the attention of fellow nurses.