The role of a nurse has been changeable at best and its route into professionalism has been fraught with an arduous struggle to improve education and standards. When considering these standards it is important to examine the differences between regulatory and professional nursing agencies, to understand the code of ethics that guide nursing practice and to be able to effect the professional traits from this code of ethics into practice.
During the evolution of nursing, various theories have developed. It is valuable to contemplate the influences of historical leaders and analyze the impact that specific nursing theory has on individual practice, while also reflecting on principles that dictate personal actions.
Nursing Agencies …show more content…
The Oregon Nurses Association(ONA) and American Nurses Association(ANA) are 2 such affiliations. They exist to both advocate for nursing and to guide further advances in nursing. This is where the nursing Code of Ethics can be found. The ANA website states that "The Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession" (ANA, 2015).
Nursing Code of Ethics Influence on Practice
Provision 1, "The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person" As cited in (ANA Code of Ethics, 2015)
Working in the field of Urology presents issues surrounding the aspect of dignity. As the topic of discussion tends to be a sensitive one for most people, dignity is always at the forefront of my consideration. Although maintaining dignity in this setting is not always easy, it is always my top priority. The concept here is that maintaining dignity makes an uncomfortable scenario a little easier to contend …show more content…
What was culturally acceptable in my previous nursing environment is not necessarily acceptable in this culture or in the mix of cultures I deal with. Cultural sensitivity in patient care can dictate the outcome for that patient. For example a patient may feel very uncomfortable discussing certain issues with a clinician of the opposite gender and may not voice their true concerns if presented with this option. Another example of the need for cultural sensitivity is knowing what questions to ask to draw out the information that will help nursing care plans appropriate, i.e. a patient may be self treating with herbs that could interact with medications prescribed by their physician. And although these may be true of all cultures, an awareness of other cultures allows for a more thorough assessment of individual needs gathered with understanding and