The Importance Of Professionalism In Nursing

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Nursing is inherently tied to professionalism. Nursing is a career that involves working with many different kinds of people, which can make it difficult for nurses to maintain a professional attitude. Nurses must take into account their own values, the professional nursing values, and most importantly the values of their patients. There are certain characteristics nurses must have in order to accomplish their tasks while respecting all of these different values.
Professionalism is the ability to perform a job correctly. In nursing this definition is the basis of professionalism. Every day nurses work with patients from different cultures and with different beliefs. Nurses have the ability to handle varying opinions while still properly …show more content…

These values guide nurses while they are working. The five values are “human dignity, integrity, autonomy, altruism, and social justice” (D. Hatteberg, nursing concepts lecture, September, 21, 2015). Treating someone with human dignity means that they are treated correctly. Nurses need to make sure that they make their patients feel equal to them and treat them with respect. Integrity is essential for nurses to perform their tasks and still follow their own values. Nurses with integrity will be honest with the care they provide and take responsibility for their actions. Autonomy is what allows nurses to make decisions for their patients. Nurses must use their knowledge of nursing to make a choice that is best for their patient. Nurses who demonstrate altruism provide quality care to every patient they treat. Nurses with this value will not let the varying beliefs of their patients influence the care they provide their patients. Social justice means providing equal resources to all people. Nurses who display this value, work towards providing all their patients with the resources necessary to maintain their health. As nurses consider the values expected of them they must also remember their personal core …show more content…

Nurses who have strong moral values will spend more time with their patients. Instead of just doing their tasks and leaving they will talk to the patients. These types of nurses will check up on the patients often and have a lasting affect on their patients. Florence Nightingale is an excellent example of a nurse with strong morals. According to Craven, Hirnle, and Jensen (2013), “…she [Nightingale] soon became known as the “lady with the lamp” because of her midnight rounds to the soldiers” (p. 5). Florence took the time to go to patients during the night and check on their progress. This simple act of kindness helped the soldiers recover and made them feel that they are not alone. This was how Florence’s values showed in her

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