Professional accountability is one of the most important aspects of a licensed nurse’s integrity. To be truly accountable as a nurse, the nurse must not only utilize a solid knowledge base within the nursing process to provide care for others but must do so while adhering to ethical principles and obligations of nursing practice.

The nursing Code of Ethics in the US was developed by American Nurse Association and outlines 9 provisions that outline the ethical duties of registered nurses (Green, 2018). Some of these provisions that hold nurses accountable include: promoting, advocating for, and protecting the rights, health, and safety of the patient; establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care; and advancing the nursing profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy. (Green,2018).

Each nurse is responsible for his or her own judgement and actions that affect nursing care directly and indirectly. It is also each nurse’s responsibility to stay current on certifications and competencies that are required for their specific area of practice. The nurse exhibits accountability during the nursing process by using sound judgment and decision-making skills to develop a realistic and attainable plan of care for the patient. By using evidence-based practice, the nurse can advocate for the patient via exercising critical thinking that is supported by proven research to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

References

Green, S. (2018). Dynamics in Nursing: Art and Science of Professional Practice. Advancing Professional Standards.

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