PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT FOR NURSES

Professional code of conduct for nurses
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Abstract
There are many codes of ethics that nurses need to master before starting any nursing practice. Nurses are required to be sharp in decision-making processes pertaining issues such as moral judgement, ethical concerns and relationships. Moreover, ethical codes that nurses should master are the principle of confidentiality, power, honesty, moral strength, respect and cultural sensitivity.
Key words: code of ethics
Professional code of conduct for nurses
Nurse and Midwives are very significant individuals in the medical field. This is because the entire recovery period of a patient relies on the nurse`s ability to be alert and caring for the patient`s health condition at all times. The America Nursing Association refers to professional codes of conductor for nurses as the core backbone of the nursing profession (Fowler& American Nurses Association, 2008). Therefore, they formed codes that will guide any upcoming or professional nurses on how to be effective in their service delivery. The codes of ethics are divided into three categories that are the clients, practice and profession. In details, nurses have the responsibility to serve the clients effectively. Secondly, they are required to offer the highest standard of services in practice. Lastly, nurses are required to act professional and ethical at all time.
Consequently, there many codes of ethics that nurses need to master before starting any nursing practice.

From the class lesson, we learnt that nurses are required to be sharp in decision-making processes pertaining issues such as moral judgement, ethical concerns and relationships. Moreover, ethical codes that nurses should master are the principle of confidentiality, power, honesty, moral strength, respect and cultural sensitivity. According to Spector, ethical components in nursing incorporate trust, respects and good working relationship with others (Black& Chitty, 2014). In the nursing profession, respect is a big word because it is the key to satisfying health care service. Respect for ethical code in nursing profession entails the respect for the client dignity, ensuring that the client has the right to self-determination, initiating good judgement, executing duties effectively, accepting accountability when on duty, being alert to patients interests, having a good working relationship with other nurses and alleviating suffering.
Secondly, all nurses are required to maintain confidentiality at any time. This is keeping information of the patient private unless required to by law or the patient allows you to disclose it to his close relatives. Additionally, withhold information about the real situation of a patient condition is also unethical. Thirdly, moral courage is another ethical code for nurses. This is the ability for nurses to confront the ugly situation head on. For example, attending to disfigured patients who are victims of fire or acid accident may require strength and courage. Therefore, this code helps nurses to react at any case or issue.
Fourthly, cultural sensitivity means that any nurse should be able to attend to any patient from diverse culture and background. In this case, culture involves the concepts of diverse racial, thought, actions, ethnic, language, religion, customs, communication, ideology and values (Fowler& American Nurses Association, 2008). Therefore, it important to note that different cultures view issue concerned with illness, birth, death, suffering, health and pain in a cultural belief system. For example, some religions do not allow blood transfusing for their followers. Hence, nurses should be good at handling such issues.
Lastly, nurses should aim at becoming a good world citizen. This means a nurse should participate in research that will ensure everyone in the world has the best health care services. Therefore, upcoming and nurses in practice are persuaded to volunteer in a programme of providing health in third world country. For example, during the outbreak of Ebola in 2014 in the Western African country it was a chance to make a difference in the world for those practising nursing careers (Black& Chitty, 2014). .
Contrary, I have experienced a situation whereby a patient called John Smith was diagnosed with inoperable and impossible to cure liver cancer. The patient is experiencing 7 to 9 scale abdominal pain. The patient is directed to cancer unit of the health care institution. He senses something is wrong. But everyone involved in his care is aware of his situation but no one bothered to brief him on his real health state. In the nursing code of ethics, respecting the client autonomy is very relevant. In this case, it was the responsibility of the nurse to inform the patient that he has incurable cancer that needs a proper health follow- up instead of sending him in a panic mode to the cancer unity.
The second experience is that it is very common for health facilities to refuse patients because they are financially challenged. It has been recorded that many people die in line from small health issues because they lack funds to attend private hospital care. In this incidence, the code of justice and cultural sensitivity is violated. This is because nurses are required to offer services to everyone degrading their cultural diversity, economic status and political affiliation. This code is mainly violated in the private hospital where they value money more that the life of an individual.
Last experience is that many nurses enter into sexual relationship with their colleagues or doctors. These kinds of relationships undermine quality provision of care in these health institutions. Having a wrong type of relationship with fellow working mate is a violation of the ethical code. This code requires all nurses to have a proper ethical relationship with their fellow nurses. This was formed to prevent negative emotions that will not allow team work spirit in health care provision.
Regarding that, nurses are required to be professional at anytime. In order to improve quality health care, nurses are required to use scientifically based theories in their daily operations. Scientifically based theories are very relevant in DNP prepared nursing (Fowler & American Nurses Association, 2008). Mainly because it provides practicing nurse`s knowledge that they will use in the lifespan of their professions. Hand in hand, these theories are grand nursing theory and middle range theory. Grand nursing theory mainly involves prediction, description and explanation of phenomena in accordance with nursing`s perspective. Additionally, it requires the use of nursing science knowledge that tries to inquire modes such as methods of reproducible and theoretical knowledge. More ever, it also attempts to explain social interaction and human behavioural habits under stressful and standard condition. Lastly, this theory seeks to inquire the problems related to health care illness through systematical approach.
On the other hand, middle range theory is very applicable to the nursing professions (Fowler & American Nurses Association, 2008). Simply, because it tries to help in decision- making processes and nursing interventions approach. In addition to that, middle range theory attempts to link the grand nursing theory with nursing practices theory. Therefore, this results in increased nursing practice strategies and research -based operations. Simultaneously, middle range uses the specific limited number of variable to analyses an ongoing investigation. However, this theory is also precise and a complete hypothesis of nursing research. Lastly, most of the content in the middle range theory comes from nurse`s clinician experience hence improving the quality of health care.

Reference:
Black, B. P., & Chitty, K. K. (2014). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier.
Fowler, M. D. M., & American Nurses Association. (2008). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses: Interpretation and application. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.