Nursing - Responsibilities and Care

Nursing - Responsibilities and Care

Introduction

Professional responsibility refers to a code of conduct and a standard of practice that needs to be performed by registered nurses. It is the responsibility that a person assumes while undertaking to carry out planned and delegated functions. Nurses who authorises the delegated function are accountable for whatever they do (ANMC, 2008). One of the nurse's chief professional responsibilities is the provision of care and support to patients. Before the initial contact with patients, nurses need to be properly prepared to provide care to them by knowing the ANMC Policies and Standard for registered nurses. The ANMC Policies and Standards are a guideline for registered nurses to be accountable for their patients, community and the other health team. Registered nurses are critically important to the care team and maintaining professional responsibility. For instance, being courteous to the patient, family, and staff members, being professional and not judgemental, and maintain confidential about the patient's information. They are also responsible to ensure that other nurses follow the professional guidelines to understand their role and professional responsibility (Mann et al, 2009, p.224-233) (Australian, 2006).

Nurses are accountable for their own actions; therefore, they should be able to perform any procedure in accordance with the Standard and Policy for the registered nurses to avoid mistake or errors that may harm the patient. ANMC 2008 states that registered nurses practice independently assuming responsibility and accountability for their own dealings and delegation and should also be concerned about other health care workers (Australian, 2006).

There is a big difference between classroom learning and professional experience. No matter how much time is spent in the classroom, nurses will never be capable of achieving their tasks unless they are provided with sufficient on-the-job training. Work training will give them hands on experience in handling various cases as well as a new way of learning from other nurses and doctors (Mann et al., 2009) (Australian, 2008).

The practise of nursing is based on the social contract of taking care of patients and ensuring top quality care for them. Their duty is to care for patients of all ages and social statuses. Whether they are healthy or not based on their intellectual, emotional, physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs. This profession combines nursing theory, science, and courtesy in caring for patients (Australian, 2008).

The future of nursing lies in cooperation with the community to deliver this service. People are now more interested than before in entering this field. Every nurse does not have the same job; therefore, before joining a particular field, the community must first decide which area lacks professionals so that people from the society may focus their attention on this field in order to cover every need of the society.

Responsibilities

Professional practice is the first domain in ANMC National Competency Standards. My objective during my graduate year under the first domain is to display effective accountability and responsibility within the nursing practice. As a graduate nurse it is important to know that I ...