Nurses are on the front lines of change within the healthcare system, and change is happening quickly. New regulations that boost access to care and improve outcomes without compromising quality have expanded nursing roles. A paradigm shift in nursing education has encouraged greater critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The increased use of technology and informatics has changed how nurses function on a clinical level.

. Overall, the profession has been working to collaborate with patients and families in order to provide culturally competent care and optimize the continuum of care. According to Orthopedic Nursing researchers, nurses must be full partners in ongoing efforts to improve patient outcomes.

According to the article “Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for Nursing,” written by Susan W. Salmond and Mercedes Echevarria, “there are transformative changes occurring in healthcare that nurses are well positioned to contribute to and lead because of their role, education, and the respect they have earned.”

Topic 4 DQ 2

Outline the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing. Provide examples of how a nurse demonstrates professional accountability in clinical expertise, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice. How do you incorporate self-care that includes mental health and spiritual well-being for you and your clients? What does the Bible say about self-care?

As a nurse we must do certain things to maintain our licensure. Depending on the state we are licensed in there are different requirements for renewing our licenses. If we have certifications we have things we must do to maintain those certifications.

In our nursing practice we will have education that maybe required to do as part of our employment. Hospitals frequently have yearly education that must be done by employees. There may be new education that comes up based on unit needs or new policies and protocols. As a professional nurse we must meet these requirements and do them in a timely manner.

What are some things that you have to do to remain accountable in your practice?

Tajinder Singh

replied toDana McKay

Sep 18, 2022, 4:01 PM

• I think continuous education is super important to keep us in the healthcare field up to date and in the loop of latest practices and such. We are in such a ever evolving field that we have to stay up to date to keep our skills relevant. In my practice we have to keep up to date on oncology nursing via continuous education certificates or attending workshops. I usually attend classes or seminars online there are alot of resources on which is where i did most of my education for this year. in addition getting new certifications such as ACLS, PALS, etc. are immensely helpful in staying accountable in your practice.

The American Nurse Association (ANA) code of ethics defines nurse accountability as stated, “to be answerable to oneself and others for one’s own action” This means that nurses are required to follow an ethical conduct code based on the principles of fidelity and respect for the dignity, Nurses can display their professional accountability by taking responsibility for their own judgment and clinical decision they may make (Arkansas 20117). One way a nurse can show professional accountability is early recognition of an ischemic stroke patient, facial drooping, slurred speech, confusion, paralysis, and so forth. That nurse has a responsibility to that patient by acknowledging and alerting the proper clinicians to the situation based on his or her judgment. Because ischemic strokes are time-sensitive, early recognition and treatment can minimize brain damage and improve outcomes (Harvard 2017) It is important for nurses to practice good self-care and prioritize their own mental health and well-being which could directly improve the quality of care that they give their patients. Nurses can incorporate mental self-care just by coming up with a realistic individualized plan that they could do daily and/or every couple of days (Haughey 2022). The bible doesn’t speak directly about self-care but do provide some direction on how to establish,and maintain it. Jesus spoke about and gave direction and instruction to his disciples to care for their physical and mental health Jesus recognized that we cannot function and live sufficiently without rest (Liu 2022).

Arkansas State University (2017) Accountability in Nursing Retrieved September 16, 2022 from ~:text=%20Although%20definitions%20of%20accountability%20vary%2C%20Marcia%20M.,having%20power%20or%20control%20over%20something

Harvard Health Publishing (2017) Recognizing Strokes Early Retrieved September 16, 2022 from

Haughley, C. (2022) Why Self Care is Essential for Nurses and How to Practice It. Retrieved September 16, 2022 from Practicing good self-care and prioritizing your own mental health and well-being directly improves the quality of care you give your patients.

ORDER A CUSTOMIZED, PLAGIARISM-FREE NRS 430 Discussion: Contemporary Nursing HERE

Liu,G (2019) What Does The Bible Say About The Self Care Movement? Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/what-does-the-bible-say-about-the-self-care-movement/#:~:text=While%20the%20Bible%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20directly%20address%20the%20idea,for%20the%20care%20of%20our%20bodies%20and%20minds.

Oluchi Osueke

Sep 16, 2022, 8:46 PM

Professional accountability for nurses is very important. Nurses are expected to be accountable for their actions, practice, and safety of those they care for. In 2016, for the 15th year in a row, nursing was voted the most trusted profession, and it’s paramount that they maintain that same level of trust in all that they do. Nurses are expected to behave a certain way, conduct themselves with some level of respect and professionalism in the workplace. The American Nursing Association’s Code of Ethics defines professional accountability as being “answerable to oneself and others for one’s own actions.” Not only do we hold high clinical practice and ethical standards for ourselves, but we must also be willing to accept professional responsibility when or if deviations from care standards occur. A nurse is responsible and accountable for the patients assigned to her during her shift.  A culture of accountability in healthcare helps improve doctor-patient relationship, helps hospitals provide better care and prevent misuse of hospital resources. Accountability ensures nurses always put patient’s interest first and always to justify their actions, also it ensures patient’s rights, confidentiality and safety are protected.

It’s important to always ensure we as nurses are in the best optimal state of mind in other to give the best care that we can give. When a person is stressed or suffering from anxiety or other problems and isn’t taking care of themselves, it spills into their work, and they sometimes make mistakes. When Jesus was teaching the disciples and the multitudes, he would sometimes take some time away to rest or spend time alone with the Father. Therefore, it’s important that we take care of ourselves, so we are able to take care of our patients.

Reference

Lippincott. Nursing made incredibly easy: Importance of professional accountability. November/December 2017 – Volume 15 – Issue 6