In the article Promoting Professional Accountability and Ownership it states that “Professional accountability is a commitment that you make to yourself and your career when you become a nurse to advance, grow, improve, and adapt to your work.” (Sherman, 2019) As a nurse professional accountability is important because we are trusted to care for people in their most vulnerable time of need. The public trusts that we are continuing our education and staying up to date with the most recent practices in nursing. It is the nurses responsibility to continue education and stay in touch with current evidence based practice acts. The public also trusts that nurses are ethical and honest in their practice.
Examples of how nurses demonstrate professional accountability are through advancements in education and training and using evidence based practice to determine how best to care for our patients. We are responsible for the assessment of our patients and the ever changing course of their recovery. Example of professional accountability would be the nurse that is passing medication realizes that they gave a 250 mg Tylenol but the order calls for 500mg Tylenol. Acting in professional accountability the nurse would report the error to the provider and nurse supervisor, document in the chart the medication given and follow up with the patient on pain level and comfortability.
With every patient we treat and care for nurses use clinical expertise, the nursing process and EBP to determine the best form of care for that patient. It is the responsibility of the nurse to use critical thinking to determine what is best for that particular patient at that time.
Professional accountability is important in the nursing process as the nurse is held to a higher standard. We must act in ethical and professional ways to ensure the continued trust from our patients. Nurses also work closely with other interdisciplinary teams and professional accountability is important when working with other teams of health care. Communication and sharing of responsibilities is key in making the team effort work efficiently.
resources :
o Sherman, R., & Cohn, T. (2019, February 20). Promoting Professional Accountability and Ownership. In American Nurse . Retrieved from https://www.myamericannurse.com/promoting-professional-accountability-ownership/
(Please write a response to the article above using 200-300 words APA format with at least two references. Sources must be published within the last 5 years. There should be a mix between research and your reflections. Add critical thinking in the posts along with research. Apply the material in a substantial way. )
