Professionalism / Accountability / Standards

What five characteristics of a profession does Module 4 identify?

Intellectual foundation; research-based knowledge; specialized education; strong organization; altruistic motivation.

What distinguishes a profession from an occupation?

A specialized, systematic body of knowledge developed through research and scholarly inquiry; not simply paid work or caring qualities.

What eight elements does the addendum associate with professional nursing?

Intellectual foundation; research-based knowledge; specialized education; professional organization; altruistic motivation; autonomy; professional standards; ethical obligations.

What are Hall's five professional attributes?

Professional organization; public service belief; self-regulation; commitment beyond economics; practice autonomy.

What does Hall's professional organization attribute mean?

Professional organizations guide standards, professional identity, and appropriate practice; professional standards take priority over conflicting workplace customs.

What are Kelly's eight criteria for a profession?

Vital service; knowledge base; intellectual activity; higher education; autonomy; altruism; Code of Ethics; professional association.

What are the three foundational nursing documents?

Nursing's Social Policy Statement; Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice; Code of Ethics for Nurses.

What does Nursing's Social Policy Statement define?

Nursing's social contract, obligation to society, and authority to practice. Keyword: NURSING ↔ SOCIETY.

What does Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice define?

Nursing's scope, boundaries, standards, and competencies. Keyword: WHAT NURSES DO.

What does the Code of Ethics for Nurses guide?

Ethical decision-making and professional behavior. Keyword: ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS.

How do you distinguish the three foundational nursing documents?

Society/social contract = Social Policy Statement; Practice/competencies = Scope & Standards; Ethics = Code of Ethics.

What is responsibility?

Executing duties associated with one's nursing role. Memory: DO the duty.

What five nursing responsibilities are listed?

Maintain knowledge/skills; provide evidence-based care; document accurately; delegate appropriately; advocate.

What is accountability, and to whom is a nurse accountable?

Being answerable for actions and outcomes; accountable to patients/families, employer, profession, society, and self.

What is the difference between responsibility and accountability?

Responsibility = DO the duty; Accountability = ANSWER for actions and outcomes.

How does a nurse demonstrate accountability after making a mistake?

Own the mistake → Correct it → Reflect → Change behavior. Explaining alone is insufficient.

What does ADOPIE stand for?

Assessment → Diagnosis → Outcomes Identification → Planning → Implementation → Evaluation.

What is the difference between Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance?

Practice = nursing process (ADOPIE); Professional Performance = professional-role activities such as education, collaboration, and leadership.

What six professional behaviors does Module 5 emphasize?

Prepared/dependable; respectful communication; accountability; privacy/boundaries; recognizing limits; asking/escalating when safety is threatened.

What is the professional response to feedback?

LISTEN → CLARIFY → REFLECT → CORRECT → FOLLOW THROUGH.

What is patient autonomy?

The patient's right to self-determination and informed decision-making.

A competent, informed patient makes a decision the nurse disagrees with. What should the nurse do?

Respect the patient's informed decision; personal values do not override patient autonomy.

What is professional nursing autonomy?

Using professional knowledge, judgment, and standards to make nursing decisions within scope of practice.

Does professional autonomy allow nurses to ignore standards or act outside their scope?

No. Autonomy must remain within legal/professional scope and does not authorize independently changing medical treatment without authority.

What is the difference between patient autonomy and professional autonomy?

Patient autonomy = patient's informed choices; Professional autonomy = nurse's judgment within scope.

What is collegiality?

Nurses supporting, respecting, guiding, and professionally developing one another.

An experienced RN provides a new nurse with guidance and constructive feedback. What concept?

Collegiality.

What does NCSBN stand for, and what does it do?

National Council of State Boards of Nursing; develops the NCLEX and works with State Boards of Nursing.

What is the difference between NCSBN and BON?

NCSBN = develops NCLEX/works with State Boards; BON = regulates nursing and licensure within an individual state.

When does professional nursing identity begin?

DURING NURSING EDUCATION—not only after NCLEX, employment, or reaching competence.

What ten factors develop professional nursing identity?

Classroom education; clinical experiences; faculty modeling; patient interactions; colleagues; interprofessional experiences; professional values; ethical behavior; accountability; reflection.

Why does nursing need its own professional definition and theory?

To establish nursing's unique scope, contribution, and professional identity rather than relying entirely on knowledge borrowed from other disciplines.

What is the formal curriculum?

Officially taught expectations: policies, standards, evidence, faculty instruction, skills check-offs, and codes of ethics.

What is the hidden curriculum?

Unspoken lessons learned from actual clinical culture and observed behaviors; examples include shortcuts, poor communication, and responses to mistakes.

How are hidden curriculum and informal socialization different?

Hidden curriculum = implicit lessons from clinical culture; Informal socialization = incidental learning through observation, interactions, and experiences. Related, not identical.

Does observing staff perform an action make it safe or evidence-based?

No. Observed behavior must still be evaluated against policy, evidence, ethics, and training.

What six situations require a nursing student to STOP & ASK?

Skill not checked off; unclear medication/order; patient condition changes; task outside student role; supervision unavailable; observed practice conflicts with policy/evidence/training.

What should a student do when asked to perform a skill they have not been checked off on?

State the limitation and request appropriate supervision; do not proceed independently.

When is critical thinking required in the nursing process?

Throughout ALL steps of ADOPIE, not just assessment, diagnosis, or when problems occur.

How should nurses handle safety concerns and professional disagreements?

Safety: Voice concern → Restate clearly → Escalate if unresolved; hierarchy never overrides safety. Conflict: State perspective → Listen → Seek common ground → Work toward solution.