Professional Standard Conduct in Nursing: Ethics, Principles, and Challenges

Nursing
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Professional standard conduct
Introduction
Ethics is a branch if philosophy that entails systems of defense and recommendations concept of
right and wrong actions which is usually done by an agent (Ewing, 2013). Ethics tries to give
solutions of human morality by giving explanations on good and evil. It has relations to the field
of values and psychology. Nursing ethics is an applied field of ethics that entails activities in
nursing practices. It has principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy. It can be
differentiated by its emphasis on relations, human dignity, and inter-professional care.
Many health care facilities have their own trained ethics personnel to help health caregivers and
patients with hard problems arising in the process of providing care and the other health care
facilities and ethics committee. Ethics is the beginning where the law ends. Ethics and law share
the common goal of initiating and maintaining social good and have a relationship (Sorokin,
2017). Ethical norms are formed from the law, institutional policies, and professional standards
of care.
The American Nursing Association developed and implemented its first code of ethics and it has
undergone a lot of changes to suit technological advancement, law and problems in the nursing
profession (Catalano, 2015). The code is specifically important in current health care areas since
it explains about values and commitments of the nurse, recognizes boundaries of the role and
loyalty and explains the roles of a nurse that entails individuals encounter.
Professional standards explain the competence in care in each process of nursing practice (Smith,
2012). They show a reflection of a desirable and attainable level of performance against which
nurses actual activities can be compared. The purpose of these standards is to give direction and
have safe and competence in their nursing practices. They are important to the nursing profession
due to its promotion and guidance on our clinical practice. It gives a provision of a tool of
evaluating yourself and colleagues to make sure clinical proficiency and safety are met.
Professional standards are regulators and nurses are responsible for acting professionally and
apply them into acting in their clinical practice in regard to their area, responsibility, and role.

The policies of those who employ or institutions cannot exclude a nurse from being accountable
for their actions or what they are primarily obligated to meeting these professional standards.
Professional standards show that one is responsible for decisions made in clinical practice and
actions and maintenance of competence during a nursing career. They are patient-centered and
enhancing the best clinical outcomes and reducing exposure to harm. It promotes knowledge
base through experience and academic and current guidelines.
Use of professional standard to realize areas of improvement in clinical practices and workplace
and also improve patient safety. As colleagues, we must ensure that clinical practices are met and
have trust and respect of our patient and community.
Globally nurses have struggled with ethical problems in taking care of patients. According to
Florence Nightingale's notes on nursing, she explained the duties, ethics of confidentiality, and
communication and meeting needs of the patient (Matthews, 2012). Currently, nurses are
obligated to have moral characters, duties, and principles which are vital to the nursing
profession.
However, this has become a critical issue for nurses globally to do their practice with integrity
due to the presence of moral choices and pressure that the nurses face. An ethical issue happens
in any health situation where many questions of it being right or wrong rely on professional skills
of making a decision and the fact that it benefits the care of the patient. All health caregivers,
nurses being included can be influenced by ethical decisions as they tackle the demanding and
straining practices through these ethical issues.
Those nurses new in the profession and those with fewer years of experience face a lot of ethical
challenges more often and have a high level of stress. Nurses from various parts of the global
world encounter a particular type of ethical issues which are common.
Any ethical issue should be realized and identified before making any decision. Every personnel
is different in identifying the moral problem they face and how to give a response to it.
Variations include age, gender, ethnicity and years of practice. The rate at which nurses face
these problems affect the level at which they use their moral behavior. It is important to