Introduction
Nurses have made a long journey from being viewed as rather insignificant to crucial figures in healthcare. Earlier, they were interpreted as minor employees in spite of the impressive number of responsibilities they have. Nowadays, this occupation is more respected and developed academically. This, in turn, accentuates the need to review their role, values, accountability, and legal and ethical issues.
The Values and Responsibilities of a Nurse
Currently, the role of nurses is more diverse than it was more than 70 years ago, as they spend extra time with their patients in order to get more acquainted with them and their medical history, represent their patients’ interests and desires, and respecting said patients’ consent (ABSN Mercer, 2021). This occupation encapsulates a number of important values, such as integrity or honest decision making, altruism, and accountability (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). These rather prominent features represent the core of the job.
Accountability is one of the most critical values in nursing. It is defined by respecting a patient’s desires and needs, while applying knowledge, practice, and skills to the process (Nursing Process, n. d.). This quality makes a nurse trustworthy, thus resulting in optimistic results, decreases the number of malpractice cases, and further promotes the medical facility where the employee works. Thus, it is clear that this value is a significant feature of the occupation.
Some of the legal responsibilities of a nurse include preventing malpractice cases and respecting a patient’s confidentiality. The former is to be prevented by complying with the standards and recommendations of the Nurse Practice Act set by their state and their employer’s requirements (WTCS, n.d.). The confidentiality of a patient is regulated by the HIPAA act. In order to successfully obey it, nurses are to secure medical records and avoid discussing patients in public. The ethical values of a nurse are depicted in the ANA Code of Ethics, which mentions nine values. Some of them are: promoting a patient’s interests, taking accountability and responsibility for nursing practice, and working compassionately and respectfully. These features accentuate the details and complexity of the job.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the values and responsibilities of a nurse have become more diverse due to their increased value in the field of medicine. One of those crucial values is accountability, which helps decrease cases of malpractice and guarantee trustworthiness. The legal responsibilities of a nurse involve preventing malpractice and respecting a patient’s confidentiality. Ethical responsibilities include being accountable, supporting a patient’s needs, and working respectfully.
References
ABSN Mercer (2021). Why the role of nurses is important in healthcare.
Indeed Editorial Team. (2021). 16 nursing values and why they’re important.
Nursing Process (n.d.). 10 ways to demonstrate accountability in nursing practice.
WTCS (n.d.). 1.6 legal considerations & ethics – Nursing fundamentals.