CPD

Professional code of conduct and ethics

Obligations of professional nurses and midwives

Nurses and midwives are obliged by the Nurses and Midwives Act of 1996, section 24 to:

  • Promote health and wellness
  • Prevent illness
  • Restore health
  • Alleviate suffering

Obligation of promotion of health and wellness

It is the nurses and midwives’ duty to:

  • Maintain the standard of care and work in a setting that enhance safety and quality care
  • Promote health through positive health practices like no smoking, personal and communal hygiene and stress management

Obligation to prevent illness

It is the nurses and midwives’ duty to:

  • Promote good health habits and maintain the individual’s best possible functioning
  • Ensure that his/her clients receive sufficient information and care

Obligation to restore health

In restoration of health, the nurse or midwife executes:

  • Rehabilitate
  • Care

Obligation to alleviate suffering

A nurse or midwife shall provide care to both clients and families during terminal illness in hospitals

  • Palliation
  • End of life care

Professional Conduct during obligation

As nurses or midwives, you are accountable to:

  • People we serve
  • Practice
  • Profession
  • Co – workers

Professional conduct towards people

The nurse or midwife’s primary professional responsibility is to care for the people

  • Hold health, safety and interest of the patient/client first
  • Respect of each patient at all times and in all circumstances
  • Respect of human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of individuals, family and community
  • Provide relevant, clear, accurate information
  • Work in an open and cooperative manner
  • Recognize and respect the uniqueness and dignity of each patient/client
  • Confidentiality
  • Avoid abuse of his/her privileged relationship with patients/clients and the privileged access allowed to their person, property, residence or workplace
  • Ensure no action or omission on his/her part or within his or her sphere of responsibility

Professional conduct towards practice

  • Keep abreast of professional knowledge in order to maintain a high standard of professional competence
  • Maintain a standard of personal health so as to be able to provide care
  • Use judgment regarding individual competence before accepting and delegating responsibility
  • Maintain standards of personal conduct
  • Ensure that the use of technology and scientific advances meet the safety, dignity and rights of people
  • Acknowledge limitations in his/her knowledge and competence and decline any duties and responsibilities unless able to perform them in a safe and skilled manner

Professional conduct towards practice

  • Report any circumstances in the environment of care which could jeopardize standards of practice to an appropriate person or authority
  • Report any circumstances in which safe and appropriate care for patients/clients can not be provided to an appropriate person or authority
  • Report any circumstances in which the health and safety of the colleagues is at risk to an appropriate person or authority
  • Maintain an up to-date status with the Council’s requirements e.g renewals

Professional conduct towards the profession

  • Play a leading role in determination and implementation of acceptable standards of clinical practice, management, research, and education
  • Participate in creation and maintenance of safe, equitable social and economic working conditions while acting through professional associations
  • Work in a collaborative manner with health care professionals and others involved in patient care, and recognize their contributions
  • Assist professional colleagues to develop professional competence
  • Ensure that your registration status is not used to promote commercial products or services
  • Avoid performing duties under the influence of alcohol
  • Avoid engagement in activities that bring discredit to the profession or to the delivery of health services
  • Avoid support or being associated with unscientific practices that do not contribute to health care

Professional conduct towards co-workers

  • Cooperate with his/her professional colleagues and others from other fields
  • Recognize and respect each other’s expertise in the interest of providing the best possible holistic care
  • Take appropriate action to safeguard individuals, families and communities when their health is endangered by a co-worker or any other person
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