Nurses face significant challenges in their daily activities, such as intimidation from their superiors and workmates, public opinions, restricted resources, organizational influence, and conflicting needs of their patients. These factors pose a challenge when making decisions. An ethically advanced practice nurse is competent and experienced in their work setting and can communicate,collaborate, and support others to overcome work related ethical issues .
Nurse practitioners work directly with the patients. They diagnose,manage common and chronic illnesses, initiate physical examination, give a prescription, educate and counsel patients about their illnesses (Hobson & Curtis, 2017, p. 648). In addition, they do not discriminate when offering treatment regardless of the patient’s disability, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, economic status, and ethnicity. The nurse practitioner creates an ethical environment through the promotion of health. They understand that their responsibility for care goes beyond their patients and include patients’ families and other stakeholders. Therefore, nurse practitioners must notify the stakeholders on the treatment status and the progress of the patient, which must be done within the patients’ privacy laws.
Nurses should safeguard the wellbeing of both the patients and other staff members. Therefore, nurses must report cases related to professional behavior. The healthcare professionals engaging in unprofessional activities should be reported to the staff leaders (Fowler, 2016 p.S11). Nurses’ intervention is critical when dealing with victims of domestic and sexual abuse. The nurse practitioners should report cases of infectious diseases.
In conclusion, nurses play a significant role in the creation of an ethical working environment. Hnece, they should support and honorthe patients’ rights. Nurses should protect the needs of the patients and other stakeholders, while maintaining codes of practice when providing care..
References
Fowler, M. D. (2016). Nursing’s code of ethics, social ethics, and social policy. Special Report, 46, S9-S12.
Hobson, A., & Curtis, A. (2017). Improving the care of veterans: The role of nurse practitioners in team-based population health management. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(11), 644-650.