Successful nurses must absolutely be critical thinkers and trained observers with unparalleled problem solving skills. Although these qualities are not inherent in all, does not necessarily indicate that one will not be an excellent nurse. Before graduating from a nursing school program, there is a standard level of competency that must be understood and practiced. This paper will briefly describe and explain the purpose of Differentiated Essential Competencies (DECs), discuss how these competencies apply to real life, and compare expected competencies between the Registered Nurse(RN) that has obtained an associate’s degree and the RN who has achieved a bachelor’s degree.
Description and purpose of DECs
Healthcare workers, RNs specifically, …show more content…
When these attributes are exhibited, it becomes part of one’s identity. While it is admirable, for people in general, to encompass these attributes, it is not required. Nurses are ethically obligated to live out these qualities while attending to their patients, patient’s family, co-workers, employer, and surrounding community (Code of Ethics, 2015). As a nurse, one must make decisions every day that will impact someone’s life; because of this, they have an obligation to consider the significance of their actions as they relate to the patients under their care. Being a safe and effective nurse requires many skills and a higher level of understanding. Because medicine is constantly changing, a nurse has a duty to remain current on the most relevant evidence based practice. Nurses also have the ethical responsibility to communicate the needs of their patients with other members of the interdisciplinary team (Code of Ethics, 2015). In the incident discussed in the above paragraph, legal ramifications are always a possibility. The nurse failed to effectively communicate and take adequate steps to prevent a fall from occurring. In order to win a medical malpractice case, four conditions must be present. The conditions are duty; breach of duty; harm; and causation (Moffett & Moore, 2011). This …show more content…
A nursing code of ethics provides guidelines for care given with safety and compassion in mind. When a nurse commits to a code of ethics, it assures the public that they will follow professional practice standards. Although the code of ethics is outlined step by step and appears easy enough to follow, nurses frequently find themselves in ethical dilemmas. The Differentiated Essential Competencies are standard level of competency that must be understood and practiced prior to graduation from an approved nursing program. These competencies are put into place, so that education programs are better prepared to instill them into future nurses. Having at least a standard level of competency after graduating provides a knowledge base to make sound clinical judgments and with experience, helps to advance a novice beginner to an experienced critically thinking nurse who can provide the best care possible and be a leader within their
Description and purpose of DECs
Healthcare workers, RNs specifically, …show more content…
When these attributes are exhibited, it becomes part of one’s identity. While it is admirable, for people in general, to encompass these attributes, it is not required. Nurses are ethically obligated to live out these qualities while attending to their patients, patient’s family, co-workers, employer, and surrounding community (Code of Ethics, 2015). As a nurse, one must make decisions every day that will impact someone’s life; because of this, they have an obligation to consider the significance of their actions as they relate to the patients under their care. Being a safe and effective nurse requires many skills and a higher level of understanding. Because medicine is constantly changing, a nurse has a duty to remain current on the most relevant evidence based practice. Nurses also have the ethical responsibility to communicate the needs of their patients with other members of the interdisciplinary team (Code of Ethics, 2015). In the incident discussed in the above paragraph, legal ramifications are always a possibility. The nurse failed to effectively communicate and take adequate steps to prevent a fall from occurring. In order to win a medical malpractice case, four conditions must be present. The conditions are duty; breach of duty; harm; and causation (Moffett & Moore, 2011). This …show more content…
A nursing code of ethics provides guidelines for care given with safety and compassion in mind. When a nurse commits to a code of ethics, it assures the public that they will follow professional practice standards. Although the code of ethics is outlined step by step and appears easy enough to follow, nurses frequently find themselves in ethical dilemmas. The Differentiated Essential Competencies are standard level of competency that must be understood and practiced prior to graduation from an approved nursing program. These competencies are put into place, so that education programs are better prepared to instill them into future nurses. Having at least a standard level of competency after graduating provides a knowledge base to make sound clinical judgments and with experience, helps to advance a novice beginner to an experienced critically thinking nurse who can provide the best care possible and be a leader within their