Ethical integrity and professionalism in nursing practice

Ethics and Leadership

Nurses have traditionally learned in a few different ways what it means to be a good nurse. One of the most important of these ways is through enculturation by other nurses. Nursing has traditionally been a profession where much of the training was on-the-job in nature, and this means that nurses learn about being a nurse primarily from their leaders, the more senior nurses. The definition of nursing, therefore, has been passed down through the generations. In more recent decades, formal education has played a bigger role in the formation of the idea of what it means to be a good nurse. Crigger and Godfrey (2014) have pointed out that the identity formation for nurses now tends to be begin before they officially enter the profession, when they are studying to become a nurse.

To me, reflecting excellence and character in practice means a few things. First, it reflects on ability, the skills that I have learned to do the job, and knowing that I will do everything very well. This is important, just the basic skills and abilities that a nurse needs to be effective. But after that, it is more. Excellence and character also means the caring that you bring to the job. A nurse is a person, not a robot, and part of what makes for an effective nurse is someone who is caring, compassionate, and someone who is able to provide that emotional, mental side of caring. So being able to work in a way that inspires confidence for the patient.

There is also how a nurse deals with co-workers, and other people in the health care profession. A nurse who exhibits excellence and character always behaves with the utmost ethical integrity, and treats others well. A nurse must uphold the standards of the profession, and ensure that these standards never waver. In that, a nurse can act professionally in all respects, so that he or she carries the profession well.

My understanding of professionalism has been shaped by those under whom I have studied, and by those with whom I have worked. I have built this concept of professionalism in a way that allows me to see how my contributions help others, and how they uphold the standards of the nursing profession . To me, this starts with having a set ethical compass. This is something that maybe people are born with, but need to identify in terms of how it applies in daily lives. Ethics is not just something that arises when there is an ethical crisis -- you have to know before a crisis manifests just what your ethical stance is, and ensure that you uphold the highest ethical standards daily (Callister & Robinson, 2011).