Professional Adjustment in NURSING

Researched and prepared by: KARL GABRIEL BONIFACIO, 8TH PLACER – Dec 2010 NLE
PROFESSIONAL ADJUSTMENT
The growth of the whole individual and development of all his/her capacities: physical, mental, social and spiritual - towards
efficient and effective performance of his/her profession

Profession – an occupation that requires advanced knowledge and skills and that it grows out of society’s needs for special
services.

Criteria of Profession: APPs

Advance knowledge in its field

Protect its members and make it possible to
practice effectively
Provide service needed by society
Characteristics of a Profession: SKATE

Specific and necessary service to society

Kode of ethics for practice
Autonomy in decision-making and practice
Theoretical body of knowledge leading to defined
skills, abilities and norms
Extensive education and training of its members
Nursing means: PASAS
Provision of health care
Art
Science
Altruistic profession (centered on helping others)
Service-oriented
NURSE - originated from a Latin word NUTRIX, to nourish.

Characteristics of Nursing: CARING

Caring
Active involvement in issues in health care
(ethical, legal, and political)
Regards humans holistically in giving care
(mostly physiological, psychological, and sociological aspects)
Involves close personal contact with the recipient of care
No discrimination in giving care (without regard to color, creed, social or economic status)
Goals in health are actively promoted (individual, family, community, and national goals)
Personal Qualities of a Nurse: BMPM (Bayan Mo iPatrol Mo)

BSN Graduate
Mentally and
Physically
May lisensya
…A professional nurse therefore, is a person who has completed a basic nursing education program and is licensed in his
country to practice professional nursing.

Roles of a Professional Nurse: ReMaTe 4C (Gin REMATE ang 4 ka Cellphone)

Researcher
-participates in scientific investigation, utilizes research findings,
and at the same time protecting the rights of human subjects
Manager
-makes decisions, coordinates activities of others, allocate resource, evaluate care and personnel
-plans, give direction, develop staff, monitors operations, give the rewards fairly and represents both staff and
administrations as needed
Teacher
-provides information and helps the client to learn or acquire new knowledge and technical skills
-encourages compliance with prescribed therapy, promotes healthy lifestyles, and interprets information to the client

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Caregiver/ Care provider
-the traditional and most essential role
-functions as nurturer, comforter, provider
-provides direct care to clients and promotes their welfare
Counselor
-helps client to recognize and cope with stressful psychologic or social problems; to develop and improved interpersonal
relationships and to promote personal growth
-provides emotional, intellectual to and psychologic support
Change agent
-initiate changes or assist clients to make modifications in themselves or in the system of care
Client advocate
-involves concern for and actions in behalf of the client to bring about a change
-ensuring that the client’s needs are met, promoting what is best for him, and
protecting his rights
-provides explanation in clients language and support clients decisions

Expanded role as of the nurse: EPAnEMA Clinic

Nurse Entrepreneur- a nurse who has an advanced degree, and manages health-related
business.
Nurse Practitioner- is a nurse who has completed either as certificate program or a
master’s degree in a specialty and is also certified by the appropriate specialty organization. She is skilled at making
nursing assessments, performing P. E., counseling, teaching and treating minor and self- limiting illness.
Nurse Anesthetist- a nurse who completed the course of study in an anesthesia school and carries out pre-operative
status of clients.
Nurse Educator- A nurse usually with advanced degree, who beaches in clinical or educational settings, teaches theoretical
knowledge, clinical skills and conduct research.
Nurse Midwife- a nurse who has completed a program in midwifery; provides prenatal and postnatal care and delivers
babies to woman with uncomplicated pregnancies.
Nurse Administrator- a nurse who functions at various levels of management in health settings; responsible for the
management and administration of resources and personnel involved in giving patient care.

Clinical Specialists- is a nurse who has completed a master’s degree in specialty and has considerable clinical expertise in
that specialty. She provides expert care to individuals, participates in educating health care professionals and ancillary,
acts as a clinical consultant and participates in research.

Definition of Terms

■ Ethics - systematic study of what a person's conduct and actions ought to be with regard to self, other human beings,
and the environment
…The branch of philosophy that deals with the distinction of right from wrong on the basis of a body of knowledge, not
just on the basis of opinions.
■ Morality - behavior in accordance with custom or tradition and usually reflects personal or religious beliefs
■ Bioethics - specific domain of ethics that focuses on moral issues in the field of health care
■ Ethical dilemma - occurs when two or more clear ethical and moral principles apply in a situation that support mutually
inconsistent courses of action

Ethical Principles: FiVe à CoBe JAPAN (Taga saan si Voltes FiVe? CoBe, JAPAN.

Ethical Principle Definition Example

Fidelity The principle of promise-keeping; the
duty to keep one's promise or word
*questions relating to loyalty and
honoring one’s words
Veracity The obligation to tell the truth
*questions on honesty in words and
actions
• Be sure that contracts
have been completed
• When making a promise to
a patient, be sure to fulfill
it, otherwise, do not promise
• Admit mistakes promptly.
Offer to do whatever is
necessary to correct them
• Refuse to participate in
any form of fraud

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Confidentiality Respect for individual privacy
*usually in privileged communication
between clients and healthcare
providers, information on charts,
details of client’s case, etc.
*Exceptions:
• If patient agrees to divulge info
• Needed in a criminal investigation
• Public safety is at risk
• Relevant to client’s care and needed
by the health team directly involved in
his/her care
Beneficence The duty to do acts of kindness and
mercy that directly benefit the
patients
*if the question requires a positive
response or if the nurse is required to
do something
Justice The right to demand to be treated
fairly and equally
*questions about discrimination, calls
for an equitable distribution of
resources, and general fairness
Autonomy Respect for an individual's right to
self-determination and freedom to
choose and implement one's own
decision
*if the question is about wills, advance
directives, decision-making on
treatment, etc.
Paternalism/ One person assumes the authority to
Stewardship make a decision for another. Humans
are not absolute owners of the earth
or of their bodies but are only
stewards of God. Thus, nurses should
take care of clients’ bodies as well as
their own.
Advocacy The obligation to look out or speak up
for the rights of others
*usually involves defending rights of
disadvantaged or marginalized clients
(poor, unconscious, children, persons
with disabilities, elderly, mental/
psychiatric deficits, etc.)
Non-maleficence The principle of doing no harm
*if the question requires a negative
response or if the nurse must avoid or
prevent an act that may cause harm
• Treat all information
gathered during the course
of caring for the patient as
confidential
• Do not discuss patients
with anyone who is not
professionally involved in
their care
• Protect the physical
privacy of patients
• Provide all patients with
caring attention and
information
• Treat every patient with
respect and courtesy
• Treat all patients equally,
regardless of status or
background
• Be sure that all patients
have consented to all
treatments and procedures
• Explain procedures to
patients properly
• Providing emergency care
to unconscious patients
• Provide patients with high
quality care
• Provide patients with
complete and accurate
information
• Always work within your
scope of practice
• Never give information or
perform duties you are not
qualified to do
• Observe all safety rules
and precautions
• Update your skills
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Patient’s Bill of Rights: CORPORATE ABC

Considerate and respectful care, irrespective of socioeconomic status

Obtain current and complete information regarding diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment (If it is not medically advisable, it
should be made available to the proper person on the patient’s behalf)
Receive information necessary to give informed consent prior to any procedure or treatment
Privacy concerning his care
Obtain information as to the relationship with any healthcare or educational institutions as far as his care is concerned
Reasonable response to the request for services
Advised if the hospital conducts any research affecting his care and to refuse such
Treatment refusal to the extent permitted by law, and be informed of the consequences
Expect reasonable continuity of care

Applying hospital rules during his stay must be made known

Bill may be examined by client if he wants
Confidentiality in all communication and records
Nurse’s Bill of Rights: FEW COPS

Fair compensation for their work

Environments that allow practice according with professional standards and scopes of practice
Work environment that supports and facilitates ethical practice
Collectively negotiate the conditions of their employment, individually or collectively
Openly and freely advocate for themselves and their patients without fear of retribution
Practice in a manner that fulfills their obligation to society and to those who receive nursing care
Safe work environment
Basic Human Rights of Research Subjects: CPR RIP (Kung indi ma-CPR, RIP gid!)

Confidentiality
PRotected from harm

Refuse and/or withdrawal

from participation
Informed consent
Privacy
Code of Ethics for Nurses

Emphasis of the Code of Ethics

1. Fourfold Responsibility of Nurses: PrePARe (PrePARe well, future RN! Good luck!)
Prevention of illness
Promotion of health
Alleviation of suffering
Restoration of health
2. Universality of the Nursing Practice
3. Scope of Responsibilities of Nursing: PP CoPS (Police Patola CoPS)
People they serve
Practice of nursing

Co-workers
Profession
Society and the environment
Additional reading: Code of Ethics for Nurses,
BON Resolution 220 series of 2004

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