The Impact Of The Code Of Ethics For Australian Nurses And The Code Of Professional Conduct For Nurses In Australia On Nursing Practice And Nurse-Client Relationship.

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The impact of the Code of Ethics for Australian Nurses and the Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia on nursing practice and nurse-client relationship.

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The Code of Ethics for Australian Nurses by APHRA 2008, outlines the 'nursing profession’s commitment to respect, promote, protect and uphold the fundamental rights of people who are both the recipients and providers of nursing and health care'.

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This principle humanity, respect and dignity which are the foundations for the nursing practice extends to those nurses care for, those nurses work with and those nurses mentor, including Graduate Nurses.

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According to Murray, 2009, workplace bullying in nursing, also known as horizontal violence, is defined as 'any type of repetitive abuse in which the victim of the bullying behaviour suffers verbal abuse, threats, humiliating or intimidating behaviours, or behaviours by the perpetrator that interfere with his or her job performance and are meant to place at risk the health and safety of the victim'.

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Nurses may bully for a number of reasons.The basis most often is solely the need for bully to be in control of all aspects of the work environment.
Bullying in the workplace is a very serious matter that continues to escalate in the health care organisation. It's impact is not only suffered by the victim, it also has a secondary effect on co-workers who witness the act of bullying as well as the organisation itself.

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In Etienne, 2014 bullying in the nursing workplace has been identified as factor that causes poor patient outcomes and increases occupational stress and staff turnover.
Despite clear organisational policies and procedures and workplace health and safety guidelines that relate to protecting, reporting and management of workplace bullying, bullying remains underreported.

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Nurses have the responsibility under the Code of Professional Conduct to 'promote and preserve the trust and privilege inherent in the relationship between nurses and people receiving care' (APHRA, 2008). Nurses are required to apply this code of practice amongst themselves, so they are able to look after each other as well as be physically and emotionally well to care for their patients.

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According to Berry, et. al., 2012, when workplace bullying is role modelled by senior nurses to graduate nurses, it is eventually perpetuated and accepted as the social norm, hence, is adopted by the graduate nurses and is continued as a cycle.
It is important to understand that when the work environment is attenuated with workplace bullying, nurses may experience emotional exhaustion and burnout, unknowingly causing the patient becomes the victim of the weakened work environment.

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In conclusion, health care leaders have a responsibility to employees and the public to provide a work environment that is free from abuse and harassment. When workplace bullying is identified, the whole organisation including nurses and senior leaders must take swift appropriate action to ensure the bullying is stopped and appropriate action is taken so the bullying does not take place again. Policies and procedures must be implemented and enforced to ensure nurses feel to report incidents of bullying.

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