Foundations of Evidence Based practice (B71P02)

ACCOUNTABILITY
What is accountability?
 Accountability means that individuals are responsible
for their actions and maybe asked to justify them

 Responsibility means being answerable for ones own

actions

The NMC (2008) state that

 Nurses and midwives hold a position of responsibility
and other people rely on them. They are professionally
accountable to the NMC, as well as having a contractual
accountability to their employer and are accountable to
the law for their actions.
(NMC (2008) Accountability Advise Sheet.
London, NMC.)
Why is it important in EBP
NMC (2008) The Code: Standards of conduct,
performance and ethics for nurses and midwives
 As a professional, you are personally accountable
for actions and omissions in your practice and must
always be able to justify your decisions.
 You must always act lawfully, whether those laws
relate to your professional practice or personal life.
 Failure to comply with this Code may bring your
fitness to practise into question and endanger your
registration.
 NMC (2008) The Code: contd.
You must
 Provide a high standard of practice and care at all
times
 Use the best available evidence
 You must deliver care based on the best available
evidence or best practice.
 You must ensure any advice you give is evidence based if
you are suggesting healthcare products or services
 You must ensure that the use of complementary or
alternative therapies is safe and in the best interests of
those in your care
 Keep your skills and knowledge up to date
Implications for you

As a student
 You are not professionally accountable – this lies
with your supervising RN - you are learning the
skills associated with this ready for registration
 You are personally accountable for your actions
or omissions and may be held to account for
these by the university or by the law

Once qualified you become professionally

accountable