NURS 3100 Week 2 Discussion: The Most Trusted Profession

Nurses are the most honest and ethical professionals in America, according to Gallup polls for more than 12 years in a row. In 2014, 80 percent of Americans said that nurses have “very high” or “high” standards of honesty and ethics, compared with 7% and 8% ratings, respectively, for members of Congress and salespeople. According to Pamela Cipiriano, President of the 35th American Nurses Association (ANA) (2015, March 01), “The public places its faith in nurses to practice ethically.”

 

 

 

A patient’s health, autonomy, and even life or death can be affected by a nurse’s decisions and actions. The IOM’s recommendation to increase the role of nursing in both present and future health care practice underscores the nexus between the decisions and actions of nurses and the health and outcomes of the patients cared for by nurses.

 

 

 

The critical role of nurses in present and future health care makes it imperative that nurses be knowledgeable about the ANA’s Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements (2015) (the “Code”). As the cornerstone document of the nursing profession, the Code reflects the evolution of health care and considers the most current ethical challenges nurses face in practice. The Codeupholds the best interests of patients, families, and communities.

 

To prepare

 

Review the Discussion Rubric for Week 2, provided in the Course Information area or accessible through the link below.

Review this week’s Writing Resources and Program Success Tools, specifically:

Academic Writing Expectations (AWE) Checklist, Weeks 1–3

“Paragraphs: Overview” (Walden University, n.d.-h)

“Using Evidence: Overview” (Walden University, n.d.-o)

WriteCast Episode 3: Creating A Successful Paragraph Podcast (Walden University, 2013, July 3)

Read the following articles, provided in this week’s Learning Resources:

“The Essence of Nursing: It’s Time to Put Basic Nursing Care Back in the Spotlight” (Fitzpatrick, 2015)

The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (Institute of Medicine, 2010)

Build on your own personal experience by thinking about how you might relate the information in the two articles to your own nursing experience. For example, pick out important points from the articles and connect them to your own work.

By Day 3

Post a 2-paragraph response (of at least 350 words) to one of the options below. Develop and post cohesive paragraphs and use evidence to support your ideas. The practice of writing paragraphs is essential to good writing. Focus each paragraph on one main idea or goal. Use the writing resources, writing samples, and Discussion Rubric to develop your post.

 

Option 1

As a result of its deliberations, the IOM committee formulated four key messages to support efforts to improve the health of the U.S. population through the contributions nurses can make to the delivery of care. Provide one or more examples of how you or a colleague has practiced one or more of the IOM recommendations to take the lead effectively or be in charge of an issue or patient rather than just “being at the table.”

 

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Option 2

Fitzpatrick (2015) describes how certain characteristics and competencies set nursing and nurses apart from other professions and practitioners. Describe how your nursing practice and ethical decision-making skills have furthered the quality and safety of patient care.

 

By Day 7

Read two or more of your colleagues’ postings for the Discussion question.

 

Respond with suggestions to two or more of your colleagues by confirming their critical role in the health care system.

 

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your classmates made.

 

Post a discussion entry on 3 different days of the week.