Nursing Code of Conduct ssy

Several codes are listed on the nursing code of conduct (NMC) that is to be used by all the registered midwives, nurses and all the associated fields of nursing. Under the code of prioritizing people, there are various themes under the code that ensure that nurses and all the stakeholders in medicine act professionally. According to NMC, Great Britain (2015, p.8), these codes include: treating people as individuals and maintaining their honor (dignity), listening to people and responding to their preferences and concerns (communication), making sure that the people’s physical, psychological and social needs are evaluated as well as responded to (ethical decision making), acting in the people’s best interest at all times including respecting their privacy and confidentiality rights (respect).

Dignity

As a professional nurse in practice, one of the possible ways to ensure there is dignity is ensuring that you treat people with care, respect and empathy. For example in the maternity setting of pregnant women, it is essential to recognize that people are not the same and the pain of labor as well differs. Therefore, it is logical to use the variety of the psychological and ethical means to maintain and have a relationship with the patient and help in the maintaining of her worth and value (Protection Act 2010, p.759). It is also logical to uphold individuality during treatment since the patients value the compassion that is displayed on the one on one interaction. Politeness is a virtue that is required in every professional and honoring the request made or the pain in medication as well as keeping the information confidential promotes the patient’s dignity. It’s also required for the nurse of the midwives to ensure that they provide the basics of care successfully. Provisions of the main basics of care entails ensuring that whatever the case or the patient condition, there should be equal treatment as required by the code of ethics (Johanson 2002, p.339). The professional should also limit making decisions and identify the diversity and personal choice. It is only respectable to embrace the possible limitations that will arise in the form of diversity; it is relevant also to respect the patient’s opinion.

According to Baillie (2009, p.29), in the case of the patient condition or upon critical illness, it is advisable not to mention the illness to anyone who may use the information maliciously. It is always good for nurses to offer verbal communication so that they get to know the patient’s basics such as the name and communication cost which is very important. The patients will always want to know some of the basic ideas such as when; he or she has a discharged note. Furthermore it is always good to learn all the possible diversity cultures and give the most comfortable service needed. Ensure the treatment to be provided under your responsibility is provided without delay. This can be done by communicating the treatment in a standard language and always keeping watch on the patient to see their progress (Vincent & Coulter 2002, p.77). Nurses should ensure that they update and maintain their records and communicate in due time, sticking to the timeline for the treatment. In the case of an emergency, advice or call for immediate attention on the patient to avoid wastage of time and possible future complications. It is also a great idea to value and maintain the individual’s human rights. One of the rights is the right to appropriate healthcare as well as the right to privacy. In the case of having a conversation, ensure the door is closed, and no other person is listening to the conversation. You should also ensure to provide compassion on every individual (Baillie et al. 2009, p.22).

Communication

In order to achieve this theme, it is necessary to work in teams and ensure you deliver successfully. The patience preference is a significant tool towards realizing the goals of healthcare practice. Therefore the patients respect professionals who accept their independence and the distinct manner in which they are affected by particular conditions in their lives (Gallagher 2004, p.587). Its significant to establish that each patient are experiencing their conditions and have unique values, customs and situations that determines their needs and use of the amenities. Therefore, it is crucial to listen and respond to any health opinions, worries and partiality they might have and be informed that this influences the possible treatment they are involved in. Respect their beliefs and provide the encouragement needed to assist them efficiently with the healthcare services and embrace self-evaluation (Swanson 1993, p.355). It is also necessary to identify and value the influence that the individuals can create in their health and welfare. Allow all the dedicated staff to handle the patients with respect, compassion, and self-respect. Nurses should ensure that the individual needs are often rechecked and always identify the patients who are unable to cope with their situations. Thirdly, it is crucial for healthcare practitioners to support and empower the individuals to share on their views concerning care and treatment. It is necessary to evaluate the patients frequently on their desires. Besides, it is advisable to inform the patients of the possible care services available both locally and within the state in good time (Holloway 2016, p.332).

Through this, it will help in accepting their views on professional systems about the sustainability of the risks and welfares involved during treatment. However most importantly is to acknowledge the views on the choice of treatment if at any point they decide to decline treatment. These will help in improving their conditions (Maggie & Mitchell 2008, p.28) Healthcare professionals also must respect the level in which the patients would like to discuss their health. When the patient is not comfortable with continuing the treatment and acknowledges, they have the right to abandon the discussion even though practitioners may not accept the decision. Therefore, it is upon heathcare givers to find out on the possible ways to improve the conversation and if possible use open-ended questions to stimulate the conversation. Still, it is necessary to respect and respond in the right way of reorganizing the refusal to agree to care and offer medication. The healthcare provider has to provide support during the decision-making process and be able to acknowledge the different opinions of the patients on the risk of care. In the case of a refusal, care givers should consider the involvement of a family member to help in the care and have enough information. Also, a family member should be informed of the risk involved and ensure it is personalized in the case of abandoning the care.

Ethical Decision Making

To attain this kind of care, the healthcare staff has to focus on promoting welfare, avoiding poor health and meeting the transforming health and welfare needs of people in all the levels of life. Every healthcare professional is directly linked to the patient’s welfare has to receive adequate training and education in the evaluations of the social needs of the patients (Sellman 2010, p. 4). Social needs may include care and support, proper nutrition and in the case, they are unable to perform this by themselves, healthcare giver should make sure they encourage and help regarding movement and eating when it is required, and continuously enquire from the patients if they have any difficulty in coping or doing anything. However, this should be done with utmost confidentiality. The psychological welfare might require the intervention of an expert to deal with the fears or maybe the pain that the patient may be facing and evaluate the cause of the mental challenge. In the case, it is caused by the concern of the patient based on the care or ability to recover, offer support and some pain-relieving medication that will be necessary for the relief of pain (Duxbury &Paterson 2005, p.14).

Combating the psychological and the social wants of the patients should be a subject that is taken care of in regards to the curriculum in all the undergraduate and postgraduate studies. It is also necessary for the students to have proper principle knowledge of the clinical and medical psychology (Maggie et al. 2008, p.28). Nevertheless, it is advisable to identify and react sympathetically to the patients who are in their last days of life. It is upon the health practitioner to ensure that the person involved in such condition is separated from the rest and are supporting the idea of humor and laughter. When patients are in their last days, they are faced with much psychological torture. Therefore, it is only advisable not to isolate unless under life support machines. The healthcare professionals are also supposed to ensure proper communication and reduce the amount of stress. Research by Ulbricht et al. (2001, p.771) indicates that exposure to the average daily life such as light is an effective way to reduce depression for patients and they could prolong in their days. For the patients who may require special care, providers should make sure they provide a continuous check up on them to ensure they are still safe or require advanced medical interventions.

Additionally, healthcare professionals have to support health by developing physical environments that are supportive psychologically. The practices should also entail the support for the susceptible, stimulating poor actions and judgment behavior and reaction including conduct connecting to their welfare. The medical professionals should not at any point discriminate any patient regarding the race or the social status with regard to the access to care and treatment. Every individual is the equal regardless of their background.

Respect

The health revised nursing and midwifery council code indicates very clearly that although the district health professional nurses can understand the social values and the rules, the standard is not a matter of discussion or optional (Graffith 2005, 558). They should be applied, otherwise, the practitioners will be summoned to answer to the allegation of breaching the code of conduct at the workplace. This is the fourth theme that is to be discussed under the NMC code of practice in making people a priority while under practice. One of the components of practice under this topic is to poise the desire to respond in the best interest of individuals every time with the need to respect an individual’s right to accept or discontinue with the treatment. This involves the professional practitioner being fully aware of the condition of the patient and the risks involved in the case of treatment and the possible cause of the reaction. As professionals, proper communication and discussion will help limit the possible causes in the reaction of the patient. Ensure that the patient is awarded the several options in the case that could be suitable for the further medical search (Willetts & Martineau 2004, p.33).

Although it is within the code to respect the opinion, it is also within the ethical professionalism to advice on the risk of open discussion. Deciding for the patient would undermine their opportunity to express themselves, ensure the conversation is kept longer to allow the evaluation of possible distress or determine the cause of abandoning the treatment. For example, the patient might not be responding to the treatment or the medication could not be working or posing a danger to the patient. Healthcare providers should accept the decision of the patient since the patient has to consider whether it is within their broader interest to act and make the decision accordingly. Secondly, healthcare professionals should get the informed agreement and document it before performing any service. According to Taylor (2016, p.178), the best interests are always defined based on the patient needs as well as the determination of their social and care favorites since the idea is used only to those patients who are not in the capacity of making decisions. The practitioner has to be contented that the patient, in reality, cannot make a decision by carrying out capacity evaluation driven by the refusal to treatment and evaluate the weight of the risk involved. However, the possibility of conflict may emerge where the healthcare professional’s responsibility and their role to the care are not in line to the right of the patient to self-sufficiency. Therefore at several occasions, the patients may only be allowed to carry out the decisions with the possible lower threats, and thus in some occasions, the practitioner may not consent to the decision, the respect for the patient’s self-rule may relieve the health professionals of responsibility for a possible combative decision.

The third action is maintaining the relevant laws on the mental ability that is used by the country. Based on the mental health trust, the case provides the possible complexities that are confronting the courts when called upon to think on the individual decisions that are affecting the decision of the court towards the award of the possible cases presented. Whereas there is the capacity to provide a room in the decision making of the patient, there are challenges that arise with the desires of a patient to carry out a valid prior verdict that may be considered in fewer regards (Bingham 2012, p.168). There exist some evidence to indicate that the presupposition and the ability have been used irrationally by the law as a way of evading their responsibilities to offer care to the susceptible elderly and give a justification of the non-involvement by healthcare practitioners. However, based on several laws on the mentality of the patient, it must be critically viewed and the potential fear of obligation may lead to more significant issues in the assessment of the best interest. Lastly, it may also be appropriate to inform the surrounding collogues and the authority involved such as the healthcare manager of the potential rejection to an individual process and planned for an appropriate competent colleague to assume the role for the persons care (O’Connor 1995, p.26). Healthcare providers must ensure that this is carried out most suitably and appropriately without hurting the patient’s emotions by explaining before the patient to allow the decisions to have a positive effect on the care and that the incoming care would be more appropriate to handle the situation.

In summary, the prioritizing people code is the first code of the NMC and has got very relevant themes under practice. These themes are aimed at ensuring that the healthcare professionals are on constantly good patient-provider relations and making the practice of healthcare more professional and competent (Cowan et al. 2005, p.357).  The NMC code sets the general values for the registered nurses. Prioritizing people is a theme that seeks to deliver a clear message to the patients that the NMC members are to work under the boundaries of their professionalism to offer improved patient healthcare.

References

Baillie, L., 2009. Patient dignity in an acute hospital setting: a case study. International journal of nursing studies, 46(1), pp.23-37.

Baillie, L., Ford, P., Gallagher, A. and Wainwright, P., 2009. Nurses’ views on dignity in care. Nursing Older People (through 2013), 21(8), p.22.

Bingham, S.L., 2012. Refusal of treatment and decision-making capacity. Nursing ethics, 19(1), pp.167-172.

Cowan, D.T., Norman, I. and Coopamah, V.P., 2005. Competence in nursing practice: a controversial concept–a focused review of literature. Nurse education today, 25(5), pp.355-362.

Duxbury, J. and Paterson, B., 2005. The use of physical restraint in mental health nursing: An examination of principles, practice and implications for training. The Journal of Adult Protection, 7(4), pp.13-24.

Gallagher, A., 2004. Dignity and respect for dignity-two key health professional values: implications for nursing practice. Nursing ethics, 11(6), pp.587-599.

Griffith, R., 2015. Understanding the Code: acting in a patient’s best interests. British journal of community nursing, 20(9), pp.458-461.

Holloway, I. and Galvin, K., 2016. Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. John Wiley & Sons.

Johansson, P., Oleni, M. and Fridlund, B., 2002. Patient satisfaction with nursing care in the context of health care: a literature study. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences, 16(4), pp.337-344.

Maggie Arnold, R.G.N., Dip, N. and Theresa Mitchell, R.G.N., 2008. Nurses’ perceptions of care received by older people with mental health issues in an acute hospital environment. Nursing Older People (through 2013), 20(10), p.28.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (Great Britain), 2015. The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives. NMC.

O’Connor, A.M., 1995. Validation of a decisional conflict scale. Medical decision making, 15(1), pp.25-30.

Olbrisch, M.E., Benedict, S.M., Ashe, K. and Levenson, J.L., 2002. Psychological assessment and care of organ transplant patients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70(3), p.771.

Protection, P. and Act, A.C., 2010. Patient protection and affordable care act. Public law, 111(48), pp.759-762.

Sellman, D., 2005. Towards an understanding of nursing as a response to human vulnerability. Nursing Philosophy, 6(1), pp.2-10.

Swanson, K.M., 1993. Nursing as informed caring for the well‐being of others. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25(4), pp.352-357.

Taylor, H.J., 2016. What are ‘best interests’? A critical evaluation of ‘best interests’decision-making in clinical practice. Medical law review, 24(2), pp.176-205.

Vincent, C.A. and Coulter, A., 2002. Patient safety: what about the patient?. BMJ Quality & Safety, 11(1), pp.76-80.

Willetts, A. and Martineau, T., 2004. Ethical international recruitment of health professionals: Will codes of practice protect developing country health systems. Liverpool: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.