Professional Conduct

rachelgeorgina · Jun 10, 2009

cursedandblessed, thank you so much for responding with that! it's exactly what i was looking for! does anyone else have anything like this that they could share?

also, a question regarding this point:

i will not gossip in the hallways and the cafeteria about other nurses, students, docs, patients, patient's families, or even my neighbor.

how do you define "gossiping"? i know it seems pretty obvious, hey? take this example:

the nurses station is an open area at the centre of the ward where most of the professional interrelations go on i.e. communication with doctors, nurses, allied health staff etc. a student, on their first day of clinical, has a question about one of the pts whom they are interested in/do not understand the nature of their condition. as the num is leaving the nurses station the student stops the num to ask a question about this patient and about the terminal nature of the illness. the student never uses the patient's name, only their bed number.

later, the student is repremanded by their instructor after the num reports this exchange on the basis that discussing sensitive patient information in such a public area where anyone could be listening is inappropriate.

what do you think? is this unprofessional? is this substandard practice? how would this interaction differ from all of the other interactions between staff throughout the day regarding their patients that occur at the nurses station?

zsbaby · Jun 10, 2009

You shouldn't apologize, you should be apologized to. This is what people get for assuming. It was a great question!!

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jun 10, 2009

ok, those of us who post often throughout AN see this often in the student section where people post questions that read like essays and then we are left to assume that it is...in that case, I apoligize for my reaction. It's possible that the fact that the NUM left the station and then it was being discussed, as oppsed to in a corner of the NS or in the NUM office....my own personal thought...better off to discuss it with the nurse versus the manager. It differs throughout the day, because we are behind counters or in a different area, where we are able to observe for patients/families/etc...and still refering to someone by bed code is a violation as you are still narrowing it down....

Back to your original question....

Professional versus unprofessional.

Professional- I will NOT leave work undone on my shift unless a patient severely went south, I will always treat my patients with dignity, I will always treat pain/call docs/do whatever I need to to make sure my patients are comfortable, I will never be above wiping a butt getting water or just talking with a patient and their families.

Unprofessional- leaving simple things done, leaving a patient in pain, not ensuring doctors were called on status changes, not seeing a patient for hours, and spreading gossip about coworkers.....

hope this helps.

karenchad · Jun 10, 2009

I once had a psychiatrist define gossiping to a few of at the desk one evening when he was doing his rounds- He state for reporting and charting purposes - documentaing a patients behavior, history, symptoms, statements etc and not doing anything about it( calling the doc, supervisor whichever is appropriate) is the equivilant of gossiping. If you think about that it's true- what is the purpose of saying it if you are not going to act, follow-up or call someone. I think his point was- it's you repsonse to the information, the area and demeanor in which you present the information, the context of that sharing of information. The NUM I think is what you called her- her in the state we call then unit managers, unit coordinators= they equal the old HEAD NURSES/ the immediate supervisor of that unit- not to be confused with the shift supervisor- who has charge of the entire hospital after dayshift business hours) That NUM was wrong and inappropriate- first she should have recognized that was a student and is just learning the nitty gritty of the nursing dynamics and should have CLEARIFIED to the student on the spot the difference or what the NUM thought was wrong with the interaction. Going behind the students back to her/his instructor WAS the eqivalant of GOSSIPINGand unprofessional. MY thoughts on why the NUM chose to resolve it THAT way way was THe NUM doesn't have any peronality, conpassion for the students cant be bothered doesnt know herself what the patients hisory is lacking in the pathophysiology of the disease/termanal stage of the disease process- I am sorry to be so down on NURSING administration but I have had one too many bad experiences with them- in so far as they do not know thier NURSING material, can not answer questions their staff and have big degree letters after their name, that perphaps most of them should be in think tanks some where and stop aggravating the worker bees with their foolishness

karenchad · Jun 10, 2009

In the states we have HIPPA- its a federal law on confisentiality (HEALTH INFORMATION PROTECTION.......ACT) if a healthcre professional( doc, nurse, nursing assistant whomever employed by a hospital) discusses a patient or any IDENTIFING fact realting to a patient in a public are( nurses desk, elevator, cafeteria, etc) they can be immediately fired and /or fined, I think the fine is $60,000USD and if the patient or his agent acting in his behalf and can prove malicious intent there can be a lawsuit and/or imprisonment( this I am100% sure of) This is the information that NUMshould have disussed and recognizing that you are a student and would be benifical and a part of your nursing instruction and if you were in the US a school and state board test question - SHE HANDLED HERSELF VERY BADLY. she robbed you out of a wonderful and important learning opportunity.

karenchad · Jun 10, 2009

Im sorry tobe so long winded but - this is why no one in nursing know what professional conduct is we all guess yes we know the basics that have been mentioned in the above posts, but look at the NUM/nurse manager/supervisor= nursing administration examples we have - going behind someones back to their instructor?/ this happens all the time, this is the STANDARD of BEHAVIOR/CONDUCT in nursing, Ive seen this for 30 years- its disgusting and sickening. this is also why nursing will never be elevated up to the professional level it deserves- the other professions who are already in the high /pedestile Doctors, Lawyers really snicker at us and this is why- we are sabotoging ourselves- I had my divorce lawyer say to me "isn't it nice that someone with so little education can make this kind of money!!!" this is how we are coming off to other professional- as uneducated.

rachelgeorgina · Jun 12, 2009

Thank you so much for your contributions.

Anyone else have anything to add?