Code Of Ethics For Nurses

After reading the case study, I reflected on what “collectively tak[ing] responsibility” (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009) means to me. When I think about nurses, I think of them as the patient advocates. It is the nurse’s duty to ensure the best interest for the patient. This includes effectively communicating with other professions and insuring safe practices for the patient. For example, in the article it talks about a wound care specialist recommending an enzymatic debriding agent. The wound specialist relied on the nurse to communicate the recommendation to the physician. However, the debriding agent was never ordered. This demonstrates a failure to collectively take responsibility for the patient. What should have happened was the nurse engaging in collaborative efforts to ensure the patients best interest.

For me, the code of ethics was developed to help guide nurses in promoting the best choices for their patient. In the case study, it talked about how nurses were occupied passing medications and had ridiculous nurse to patient ratio’s, at night the ration was 1:45! For anyone it would be challenging to deliver quality care to each patient at that ratio. It is a difficult situation and puts the nurse and patient at risk for harm. According to the American Academy of Nursing and the ANA, nurses should refuse to work at a facility that sets a nurse up to provide low quality care. Often times nurses are fearful of the repercussions that may follow if they point out flaws in their workplace, but with the nursing code of ethics you have support and a duty to protect the patient. It is very important to read and understand the code of ethics for nurses so you can apply them to everyday life. It is easy to lose sight of the patients’ interest and add your own prejudice. Reminding yourself of your duties help eliminate bias and keeps you focused on patient centered