Analyzing Professional Conduct of Nurses in Australia: Case Study

This case study examines the professional conduct of nurses in an Australian aged care facility. The scenario involves a new graduate nurse witnessing a more senior nurse, Kerry, mistreating an elderly patient with dementia. The assignment focuses on the ethical breaches observed, specifically Kerry's failure to adhere to the code of conduct and standards of practice expected of nurses. The analysis highlights the importance of respecting patients, maintaining their dignity, and communicating with them in a calm and patient manner, especially when dealing with individuals suffering from cognitive impairments. The case study emphasizes the need for proper nurse training, the implementation of protocols for reporting misconduct, and the overall significance of fostering a supportive environment within healthcare settings to ensure optimal patient care and recovery. It draws upon various sources to elaborate on the ethical responsibilities of nurses and the consequences of unprofessional behavior. The student's role as a witness underscores the importance of accountability and adherence to professional standards.

Professional Conduct for
Nurses in Australia

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
CASE STUDY.................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Nurses play an important role to treat the patient in a significant manner. The personality
and their body language should be appropriate to boost up the confidence of the patients. In the
given assignment, the impact of the behavioural aspect of nurses while providing services to the
patients is drawn into attention.
CASE STUDY
On the first day while serving in a residential aged care facility as a new graduate nurse, I
found that the nurse, Kerry who is providing services to Mrs Thorpe, an eighty-year woman
suffering from dementia, was not behaving in a correct manner while taking her to the shower.
Since, the woman is suffering from the disease with symptoms like decline in memory or other
thinking skills, she was not able to understand easily the things said by the nurse. Annoyed with
the same, the nurse was pulling along her elbow to take her to the requisite place. The are some
charged nurse was frightened of nurse Kerry and didn't take any step. She has informed the
director of the facility about the incident and as a witness of the same, the director wants to speak
to me (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen and Korhonen, 2015).
To deal with the same, various codes of conduct for the nurses are elaborated to associate
with the scenario in a proper manner. The code of professional conduct for the nurses deals with
the the code of ethics to make correct decisions in difficult situations. Nurses have to be adhered
to these practices throughout their interaction with the patients. They must have to main the
dignity and respect of them while treating them. Moreover, they must ensure patient’s safety,
interest, self-integrity, professional association etc. while serving them. Similarly, the code of
ethics is associated with the responsibility of nurses to provide quality services to the patients for
ethical obligations upon them. Again, the registered nurses, standard of practice deals with the
practice according to the health need of the individuals, the level of their competence and the
confidence (Masters, 2015). Standard for practice are the expectations of the registered nurse
practice.
In the given case, all these codes are being breached by the nurse Kerry since she was not
maintaining the dignity of the lady as she was pulling her along elbow. She must have to value
the adults and have to give respect to them to heal them in an appropriate manner. Also, she must
have to communicate her in a calm manner since she was suffering from the disease. She did not
have that patient level . This must have to be considered while recruiting any nurse to the
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premises. She has broken the morale of the lady since she had not responded in a correct manner
(Ingham-Broomfield, 2015). Nurses have to maintain the standards of their practice to provide
effective support to heal the patients as soon as possible. They have to interact with the patients
in such a manner so as to boost up their confidence level.
Though the nurse Kerry is providing timely services to the patients, but the way she was
doing is not correct. She must have to take care of the patients respect while dealing with them.
She has to maintain that patient level to listen all the feelings of the patients. Only this way, they
can provide the best services to attract more and more individuals. They have to provide quality
services by behaving in an appropriate manner. While, interacting with their family members as
well, one has to take care of the same (Daly, Speedy and Jackson, 2017).
In the given case, I was the witness. To deal with the patient, Nurse Kerry has to behave
properly. For the same, the director has to associate two nursing staff for the same, so that if one
is not behaving correctly, proper report must be provided by another to the director. Hence,
adequate actions can be taken against them. This way only, the organisation can work in a
smooth manner to satisfy more number of patients and to have higher recovery rates. Also, the
charge nurse should not have any fear of another nurse. One must have the confidence to deal
with other who is not behaving properly. In this way, proper care can be provided to the patients
(Johnstone, 2015).
CONCLUSION
To conclude, we can say that the behaviour of the nurses towards the patients plays an
important role to heal them. One has to follow the code of conduct and practices while
interacting with any patient
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REFERENCES
Masters, K., 2015. Role development in professional nursing practice. Jones & Bartlett
Publishers.
Ingham-Broomfield, R., 2015. A nurses' guide to qualitative research. Australian Journal of
Advanced Nursing, The. 32(3).p.34.
Johnstone, M.J., 2015. Bioethics: a nursing perspective. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Daly, J., Speedy, S. and Jackson, D., 2017. Contexts of nursing: An introduction. Elsevier
Health Sciences.
Kangasniemi, M., Pakkanen, P. and Korhonen, A., 2015. Professional ethics in nursing: an
integrative review. Journal of advanced nursing. 71(8). pp.1744-1757.
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