Being a Nurse is an Honor as Well as a Privilege

Over the years, nursing has changed drastically. Not everyone has the heart to be a nurse, and most people are in it just for the money. In today’s society, the nurse must be very familiar of what he or she is able to do and when they are able to do so. A nurse should know his or her state’s scope of practice, nurse practice act, as well as the policy and procedure of the facility her or she is employed with.

A nurse should always documentation standards of the professional organization and comply with given standards. Always use your chain of command correctly and always respect authority. He or she must maintain clinical competencies and always clarify your direct care assignments as well as the responsibilities given. The basic duties of a nurse include interviewing the patient; assessing the patient; helping with patient care; providing counseling and teaching things on various levels, and much more. Failure to do the things you are responsible for doing, a nurse can he held liable for the following: malpractice, negligence, breach of security, assault, as well as battery.

When dealing with various liability laws, nurses can sometimes be directly liable for any harm or injuries that he or she may have caused to a patient. For many years, many liability issues have fell directly on the physician, but in today’s time, nurses have much more roles and one on one interactions with the patients. Due to much more interactions, the nursing liability issues have increased drastically. Sometimes, both the hospital and the nurse can be held liable, depending on the facts as well as the severity of the situation.

Assault and battery has been an upcoming issue within healthcare facilities over the years. They are both a known criminal offense, but there are many people that are unaware of the legal aspects of the two. Assault is the intentional act of making someone fear that you may harm them. You do not have to actually do so to commit an assault offense. Any threats or any verbal actions could cause him or her to receive one. Battery is the intentional act of causing physical harm to an individual. Examples of assault and battery in a nursing home would include: punching, pushing, slapping, pinching, kicking, any verbal threats, or even emotional abuse. Sometimes, nursing care facilities are often sued for physical abuse. Some may feel as if the patient is too afraid to say something, but most cases they do. According to studies, patients that are unable to speak or do for themselves be the main ones that are mostly victims of verbal and physical abuse. It is very important the all nurses familiarize themselves with the signs of physical and verbal abuse. Liability laws are generally based on various negligence principles which include the following, failure to use any assist lifts correctly, failure to monitor, failure to communicate, as well as failure to document correctly and at the appropriate time. We have been taught daily that “If you didn’t document it, it didn’t happen”. Liability laws can also be considered an owed duty of care to the patient, breached duty of care, measurable damage to the patient.

With me being a nursing student, I realize how important it is for me to uphold all standards as well as values that are expected of myself as well as all other nurses. As a future nurse, I understand that being a nurse is an honor as well as a privilege, and it is a must that I take my job serious. Your patient’s recovery and well-being should be your number one priority. I have always been taught to treat people like I would want to be treated, and I am constantly reminded by that while giving patient care. Always treat the patient with the most respect and always respect their dignity no matter the circumstance. Be sure to provide the highest standard of care while dealing with patients at all times. You are not only caring for the client, but you are also taking care of family needs as well. Not everyone has a heart to be a nurse. There are some people out there that can learn exactly what they need to in order to be a nurse, but for some reason they are not able to do so and that’s another reason why I am going to take my job serious and perform my skills to the best of my ability.

Over the last past couple months, I have been taught some things that I will carry with me throughout my profession. First thing is to always be professional at the workplace as well as away from the workplace. Always perform your skill at the highest standard and work within your scope of practice for the state you are employed in. Be honest and act with integrity to uphold your nursing profession. Always make sure you are dressed appropriately. Be mindful of the things you say at the workplace as well as away from the workplace. When entering a room, always introduce yourself and explain to the patient what you are going to be doing. Just because you a nurse, you DO NOT have the right to discuss any patient information, you will violate HIPPA by doing so. Patient safety is also important. I have been a CNA since 2012, and I always treat my patients as if he or she was my family. I am always mindful of the things that I do or say to a patient. Sometimes, the nurse and the CNA be the patient’s only way of communication. Not everyone has family that comes to see them nor interact with them so for the most part, they only be wanting someone to talk to someone to listen to them talk. I take pride in my job, and my prayer is that God gives me strength on my journey of becoming a nurse. I know this will be a long stressful journey, but I am going to do everything I can to be successful throughout this program. 

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