An Analysis of the Role of the Professional Nurse in the UK Healthcare

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the role of a professional nurse in the UK healthcare system, specifically within the field of adult nursing. It begins by defining and discussing key professional attributes essential for nurses in this area, emphasizing the importance of professionalism and personal attributes. The essay then delves into the NMC Code, outlining the key characteristics of a professional nurse, including prioritizing people, practicing effectively, preserving safety, and promoting professionalism and trust. Furthermore, it explores the principles and 6 C's of nursing, such as care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment, as well as the 8 principles of nursing, including advocacy, dignity, equality, evidence-based practices, communication, care and treatment, ethical integrity, safety, and leadership. Finally, the essay examines the ethical considerations that guide adult nurses in their practice, emphasizing the importance of autonomy and other ethical principles in delivering quality care. Overall, the essay highlights the multifaceted responsibilities and ethical standards that define the role of a professional nurse in the UK.

The Role of the
Professional Nurse in the
UK

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Defining and discussing key professional attributes of a nurse working in field of Adult
Nursing........................................................................................................................................1
NMC Code for defining key characteristics of professional nurse..............................................2
Principles and 6c’s of nursing......................................................................................................3
Ways in which a adult nurse should act ethically while delivering care.....................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8

REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Nurse is said to the profession in health care industry emphasised on treating individuals,
communities together with families in order to recover from optimal health addition to
maintaining quality of life. Nurse is a lady that encompasses collaborative together with
autonomous care of people of all ages, communities as well as groups. Nurse are considered as
most trusted and supported healthcare professionals as they dedicate their efforts throughout the
continuum of life. In adult nursing, the professional of nurse is incredible as they are hearth and
soul of entire healthcare system. It might be differentiated from many other service providers in
the field through their scope of practice, approach for caring patients and training. Nurses have
various roles initiating from giving medicines to patients, answering questions, time to time
checking patients, taking samples and many more. The essay is all about Adult Nursing which is
a professional area within which adult nurses contact with adult patients as well as their families.
The professional area plays crucial role in teams of medical staff addition to professional
practitioners.
The essay defines and discusses key professional attributes of a nurse who works in
practice field of Adult Nursing. It includes the ways nurses should act ethically for delivering
care.
MAIN BODY
Defining and discussing key professional attributes of a nurse working in field of Adult Nursing.
Professionalism refers to the conduct, objectives and abilities which characterise a
profession person. In other words, professional is a calling that needs specialised knowledge
addition to intensive academic preparation. It is significant feature of in-service careers. It
individual adherence for set of standards, collection of qualities addition to code of conduct
which qualify accepted practice in specific areas of working. In social context,
professionalisation have long history and multiple job groups. In context to Adult Nursing, it is a
profession which begin in among 1840 and 1845. With development of healthcare system across
the globe, the profession have developed widely. In UK, all the adult nurses are mindful for their
individual contribution towards quality of care delivery. As per Royal College of Nursing,
professionalism of adult nursing involves accountability and delegation to provide proper care to
users and patients having wider expectations form healthcare system. The profession states that
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each nurse requires clear understanding about what constitutes for a good nursing and consider
that whether their behaviour along with personal values engrosses all required factors to perform
their duties and responsibilities ethically. Professional is an essential feature of professional jobs.
Nursing professionalism is complex, inevitable along with dynamic process.
Personal attributes are characteristic and traits of a person. In other terms, personal
attributes are outlined as the traits that an individual naturally posses which makes them unique
as well as determinant towards effectiveness in particular area of profession. Moreover, attributes
helps in enhancing suitability for working at the time paired with competences and skills which
are learned through training and experience. In relevance to Adult Nurse, they have personal
attributes which distinguish them from other healthcare practitioners in healthcare system.
NMC Code for defining key characteristics of professional nurse.
Nursing & Midwifery Council is designed and developed to protect general public. This
is done for the objective of making sure that who meets the requirements fir practices as
a nurse or midwife. This is made against the law to practice as a nurse or midwife in
United Kingdom, to claim to be based on the nursing association of England (Price and
et. al., 2018). This code includes professional standards registered for nurses, values and
principles are associated in MNC code for protecting the interest of nurses and midwife.
There are different characteristics of nurses as per the code are described as follows:
Prioritise people: AS per the MNC code the first and most important characteristic of nurses is
to prioritise the interest of people. It is essential for nurses to take care about the dignity of
people is perceived, organisation of their needs and assessment & responded towards them. It
should be ensured that those who received care are well treated with respect & their rights should
be upheld with behaviours towards receiving care are challenged. This includes following
characteristics:
 Treat people with respect, kindness, compassion, make sure to deliver basic care,
offer respect and uphold the human rights of people.
 Another important feature of nurses as per the above code is to listening properly
and respond effectively, contribution towards the health & well-being of people
etc.
Practices effectively: This is also an essential characteristic of professional nursing
associated with factors such as- assess the need or advice of treatment, give people help without
delay, communicate effectively and keeping accurate records, sharing experience & receive
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feedback. This makes able to deals and serves people effectively with showing respect and care
(Kalaitzidis and Jewell, 2020). In terms of NMC code this includes following aspects that
reflects features of professionalism with respect to nursing:
 Posses and maintain the skills & knowledge required for effective and safe
practices.
 Another important feature of nursing is associated with take responsible response
so as to meet language and communication skills required for understanding the
problem of people.
 It is also needed to work with proper cooperation and maintain effective
communication with colleagues.
Preserve safety: Third category of professional nursing characteristics is related to
ensure that safety of patient and public is not affected, raising concerns immediately whenever
there is a situation arise that put patient and public safety at risk. It is further explained in
following ways:
 Complete the required training before carry out the roles and responsibilities of
nursing.
 Take immediate action in the situation where someone has suffered from harms.
 Always provide assistance and ask for help in case of arising emergency.
 It is also important to Act without any delay where there is any emergency is
arise.
Promote professionalism and trust: This is also an prominent characteristic associated
with NMC code of nursing and midwife. As per this nurses must hold the reputation of nursing
profession, discloses a personal commitment towards practice standards & behaviours consists
within the code (Pearson and Wallymahmed, 2020). This includes fulfilling registration
requirements, cooperation with investigation and audits.
Principles and 6c’s of nursing.
6C's nursing:- These reflects the values and beliefs that supports care wherever it takes place.
These are designed to make realise the needs of nurses to be mindful with their personal
contribution towards quality of caring and responsible delivery (Park, 2019). There are some
principles of nursing considered under Nursing and Midwifery Council code in order to make
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effective and successful for nursing professional of UK. These C's of nursing are explained as
follows:
 Care: It is an essential c in nursing profession represented as core of business.
The care delivered by nursing is plays significant role in offering help to
individuals and improve their help. Nurses and nursing staff promote an provide
care for patients who are services users of business, their families & decisions
regarding their career and helps in making inform about their choices of treatment
and care.
 Compassion: Another important c in nursing professional is related to
compassion is related with ways of how care is given and offer to patients. This is
associated in relationship with patients which is based on empathy, dignity and
respect towards patients and their families. It refers as the intelligence, behaving
with kindness and how individuals perceived their care and respect. This reflects
the empathy and values associated with nursing profession.
 Competence: It is also an important c of which means to caring about the roles
and ability of nursing staff to understand the needs and urgency of individuals and
patient, technical knowledge to deliver effective care. Care and respect of nursing
professionals to show their patients is based on research and evidences (Stamp
and et. al., 2018).
 Communication: It is the core element of successful carrying out relationships
with people and towards effective team working. As per this communication is
essential element based on effective listening and understanding the needs of
people.
 Courage: This element of nursing business helps in makes enable for profession
to do provide right thing for right people, to speak up concern to have a personal
vision and strength to innovate and embrace new ideas and ways of working.
 Commitment: The last element of nursing profession is related to commitment
with patients for what nursing staffs are doing for patients. It is essential to build
and fulfil commitments with patients so as to improve care & expertise of
business.
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8 principles of nursing:- In terms of nursing profession there are some principles that are
explained as follows:
 Principle of Advocacy: One of the major principles of nursing profession is
related to providing & promoting of care to people at the centre of including
patients and their families, help them through making them informed about the
treatment given to them. This shows advocacy and empower patient cantered care
that has prominent impact on nursing profession (Choi and Jeong, 2018).
 Principle of Dignity & Equality: Another essential principle of nursing is to
show dignity and equality while giving treatment to patients. This principle is
related to understanding the needs and show compassion & sensitivity and
provides care in such a way that will reflect respect towards equality of people
during treatments.
 Evidence-based practices principle: As per this principle nursing staff should
have adequate knowledge and skills, proper training & clinical reasoning should
be posses before treating any patient or people (McDermott-Levy, Leffers and
Mayaka, 2018). This reflects evidence-based practices of nursing professionals
that building the trust among people towards right treatment.
 Principle of Communication: This is most important principle of nursing
profession as nurses and staffs is the heart of communication process. For
instance they asses, record, report on patient treatment and care, handle
information’s confidently and sensitively, effectively dealing with complaints.
Thus, this is necessary principle of nursing that has prominent impact on
respective profession.
 Principle of Care & Treatment: This principle reflects the multidisciplinary
care and treatment of nursing staffs with effective teams and other professionals.
It is responsibility of nursing staff to make sure care and treatment is
coordinate which is the highest standard & best possible outcome of business.
 Principle of Ethical Integrity: According to this principle nursing staff should
take the responsibility of care provided by them and they have to answers for their
judgements and actions. These actions are carrying out by nursing staff in such a
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way that is agreed by patients and their families. Thus, ethical integrity is another
significant principle of nursing business.
 Principle of Safety: Nursing staff manages the risk of and provides safety to
patients, visitors and staffs, ensures keep each and every one safe in the place. It is
also a prominent principle for nursing profession that provides effective
management of risk and clinical safety.
 Principle of Leadership: This principle of nursing contributes to open and
responsive culture within organisations. Nursing staff leads by examples, develop
themselves and also other staffs and influence in such a way that creates open
responses to individuals and people (Emami Sigaroudi, Kazemnezhad-Leyli and
Poursheikhian, 2018). This reflects the leadership skills of nursing staff with
respect to profession.
Although these are important principles of nursing that has prominent role in success
of nursing profession. It is necessary to posses and follow required skills and
principles in order to making it effective and successful.
Ways in which a adult nurse should act ethically while delivering care.
Four principles of Beauchamp and Childress
 Principle of autonomy: Autonomy is refers towards a core element of good care. It
concerns with right of a patient over his or her body. A healthcare nurse can suggest and
advice to the patient but the choice or decision is totally depends on his or her. Further,
the patient has right to make his or her to take own decisions (Omer, Suliman and
Moola, 2016). Nurses can care for them or provide them advices what will be best for
them but in the end its totally depends on the patient's best choices independently and
according to its personal values and beliefs. Autonomous decision indicates relevant
decision making with assess to sufficient information. It refers to self rule. It obliges
nurse to respect decision of patients as independent decision making right is provided to
them. According to this principle patients should be provided by required information
and nurse should not influence patients.
 Beneficence: This principle is opposite to the above principle, according to it Nurses can
do anything that is beneficial for patient's health and in each situation. All the procedures
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must be in favour of patients good health and benefits. To ensure this principle medical
and health care professionals must have skills and knowledge that make sure that they are
trained according to each situation and medical practices (Hunt, , Denieffe and Gooney,
2017). They have to take care of what is good for one patient will not necessarily good
for another one. Nurse should take care of patients even though if patient don't want that
surgery that is beneficial for them, nurse should do that will good for his or her health.
This principle states that nurses should act in alignment of providing benefit to patients. It
indicates kindness and ethics of nurse. Hence, nurses should focus on the acting in a way
that is best for their patients.
 Non – Maleficence: Non maleficence is the one of the best knowing principle in all four
principles. This principle suggest nurse for taking those decision that will be no harmful
for patient. In short it means “ to do no harm” (Maier, Aiken and Busse, 2017). This
principle suggests towards that nurse professionals must consider other persons or society
while taking decisions that there is no harm in her decision. It deals with end result like
decision should be effective, after the made it on the patient it will no harm them. It
points out towards fair treatment of patients by nurse. Nurse should not discriminate
among patients and take care of every patient in accordance with their medical condition.
 Justice: This principle is concerns with that there should be fairness in all decision taken
by nurses or medical practitioners (Lewis, Neville and Ashkanasy, 2017). Fairness in
decisions that benefits or equal distribution of scarce resources and new treatments, and
refers that nurses should upholds the laws and regulations while making decisions
regarding their patients. It concerns with ethics that should follow by medical
practitioners in order to making right decisions for individuals health. Nurses are health-
care professionals and ways in which nurse treats their patients has huge impact on
patient's ailment (Digby, Lee and Williams, 2017). Following are the principles that
guide behaviour of nurse towards patient.
UK legislations
Overview of legislations, it concerns with how these rules fit for public and
nurses. Like other professional health care regulations, UK has its own legislation that is made
by the Privy council. UK's all legislation made under the powers of the health act 1999. These
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legislation is formed with detailed legal framework that shows how they operate them.
Legislation is made in favour of protect the public, and the structure and functions of
organisation and its activities (Lobelo, and de Quevedo, 2016). The council covers functions
such as practices processes in order to fitness and setting standards related to education and
training.
The care act 2014, it concerns with that nurses should take care of this legislation while
making decision regarding to patient's care. This act works towards promoting individuals well
being, preventing needs for care and support, promoting integration of care and supporting with
health services providing by nurses. This concern with the duties or responsibilities related to the
assess people's needs and their eligibility towards publicly care and support (Booth and
et.al.,2019). Nurses while making any health related decisions should take care of this act that
provides some guidelines to them.
The health and social care act 2008, this act is related to the social care such as public
favours in context to their health and rights. Nurses should follow regulations which is given
under this (Mackey and Bassendowski, 2017). The act was created on 11 march 2009 with the
concern with health care to patients by a national health service trust. The bill seeks to increase
professional regulations, the quality care commission, for health and social care of individual
with assurance of their safety and health care. Nurses should take care of their social
responsibilities as well as health care. This act created new regulator, the care quality and new
rules for organisations providing health care.
Children act 1989, states that all the duties and rights should be allocated to local
authorities, parent, courts and other agencies. It ensures proper welfare of children must be
maintained within the families (Ali and Watson, 2018). Children must be provided with all the
facilities of physical, financial, emotional, educational needs as these are foundation of every
child.
CONCLUSION
From above discussion it is concluded that key attributes of nursing staff with respect to
adult nursing are explained within the report so as to analyse their suitability for working
with coordination between time, competences and skills. Further different characteristics of
nursing staffs are important and designed by Nursing and Midwifery Council are addressed
in this report for knowing the skills and abilities of nursing staff that has prominent impact
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on respective business. In addition 6c’s and 8 principles of nursing are defined for reflecting
effectiveness of nursing profession. At last ways for delivery of care by adult nurses are
explained in this report with considering the legislation of United Kingdom in terms of
making effective and successful nursing profession in nation. This leads to successful
enhancement of respective profession within nation and has prominent impact in developing
the economy of country.
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