What is good example of integrity in nursing?

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Do you have any stories you have shown integrity at work as a nurse or CNA??

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To me, integrity is who you are when no one else is looking. So, doing the right, honest thing without expecting acknowledgment or praise for it.

I can think of many examples that would exemplify this. A good example that I can think of quickly is when nurses I work with leave partially used/full vials of medications, notably narcotics, on the cart next to the patient. During shift change, you should waste the partially used narc or return the unused vial to the pixies to protect the nurse who removed it initially. We get busy, and we forget. Look out for each other even if the off-going nurse has left before you can waste/return with him or her. Find someone else to do it with you.

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When a nurse realizes a med error, he/she notifies the physician immediately and later follows up with a report to management prior to being prompted because they have to by another.

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One time I was working as a house supervisor, and there was a patient in the ED who needed to be admitted. Shift change had occurred between the ED docs, and the outgoing doc had dc'd her without really working her up.

I insisted that the reluctant oncoming ED doc take a good look cause I could see that she was not a candidate for discharge. He actually went to a higher authority and complained about my impertinence, and when said higher-up doc took a good look, he came back and apologized to me. The lady almost died in CT that very night.

I took a big risk challenging a doctor's authority on behalf of a patient who could not speak for herself. To me, this is an example of integrity.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

Integrity is being honest even when no one else is looking. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is around to see you do it. Integrity is doing things as they should be done when no one is looking instead of taking shortcuts. Integrity is being upright and true to one's beliefs. Coming to work on time, not leaving things for the next shift to do that you knew you should have done, and probably could have had you not taken an extra 20 mins for lunch. It's not skipping on patient care to make centerpieces for a baby shower or do each other's hair (I have seen that in my clinical rotations as a student). It's admitting you made a mistake and facing the consequence, even if no one could prove it was you. It's not gossiping about people behind their backs, or telling everyone that you don't like so and so for whatever reasons. It is about doing what's right and just all the time in everything you do so that at any moment, anyone can look at everything you did that day and be proud of what kind of person you are.

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IsisC said:

Integrity is being honest even when no one else is looking. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is around to see you do it. Integrity is doing things as they should be done when no one is looking instead of taking shortcuts. Integrity is being upright and true to one's beliefs. Coming to work on time, not leaving things for the next shift to do that you knew you should have done, and probably could have had you not taken an extra 20 mins for lunch. It's not skipping on patient care to make centerpieces for a baby shower or do each other's hair (I have seen that in my clinical rotations as a student). It's admitting you made a mistake and facing the consequence, even if no one could prove it was you. It's not gossiping about people behind their backs or telling everyone that you don't like so and so for whatever reasons. It is about doing what's right and just all the time in everything you do so that at any moment, anyone can look at everything you did that day and be proud of what kind of person you are.

Beautifully written; I will print this and post it in my break room. Thank you.

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IsisC said:
Integrity is being honest even when no one else is looking. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is around to see you do it. Integrity is doing things as they should be done when no one is looking instead of taking shortcuts. Integrity is being upright and true to one's beliefs. Coming to work on time, not leaving things for the next shift to do that you knew you should have done, and probably could have had you not taken an extra 20 mins for lunch. It's not skipping on patient care to make centerpieces for a baby shower or do each other's hair (I have seen that in my clinical rotations as a student). It's admitting you made a mistake and facing the consequence, even if no one could prove it was you. It's not gossiping about people behind their backs or telling everyone that you don't like so and so for whatever reasons. It is about doing what's right and just all the time in everything you do so that at any moment, anyone can look at everything you did that day and be proud of what kind of person you are.

I agree with this. As a new CNA (and nursing student), I'm still trying to get the hang of things. I feel slow, and I know I'm slower than my preceptor. When I told her about WHAT slows me down (which is mainly patients waiting til I come in the room to ask me for things - and I mean, every patient asks me for something, and I have 20+ patients), she told me that I should tell them "yes, I'll get you X, but it'll be a few minutes." a few minutes could mean an hour (even by her own admission). I CAN'T do that!! I don't care if it's a 500 lb. woman who wants a coca cola - I get it right then. I might take longer to get my routine/vitals done - but I know I made all of my patients happy. I left EVERY patient's room knowing they were satisfied and comfortable. I KNOW I did my best. I KNOW if my manager (or the lovely survey they send to patients) were to ask about their caregivers - they would say that "Becky" was awesome. She took extra time to help them and was very friendly. Even if I'm about to pull my hair out in the hallway, I smile and make the patient feel like they're the only person in the world at that moment. It might sound cheesy, but it's true.

Another example - as the previous poster mentioned, it's admitting your mistakes. Just the other night, there was a nurse who walked in and said, "Patient X had a blood pressure of 180/92, and I wasn't notified." I'm new (I still have a preceptor), but I said, "Yeah, that was me. I looked back on her chart since I noticed it was high, but I noticed she has a trend of high blood pressure. plus, her cuff was way too large - so I knew it probably wasn't really an accurate reading." OK, I know big cuffs typically give false LOW readings, but this lady was TINY (needing the smallest/pediatric cuff), and she had an adult LONG. Therefore - I think I wrapped it TOO tight, giving her a false high, but due to her history of high BP, I didn't think it was anything worth reporting. Anyhow, back to the topic - I think my preceptor should've spoken up since I'm in training and I was basically called out in front of a room full of nurses - but she didn't, and I said, "Hey, that was me. this is why I think it was high. I don't think it's even accurate, and I'll go right now and take it again." the only reason I didn't take it again the first time is bc I was REALLY behind, and I assumed since she had a HUGE BP cuff that there weren't any her size in stock. (FYI- I did find a small cuff in the stock room, and her BP was 130/40)

point being - I think integrity is admitting to it when you make a mistake, doing what is right to correct it, and doing what is right for your patients even when nobody is looking. I spent all of my extra time with a little lady who had dementia last week just because she would ask me each time I was in the room if I would come back and see her. I could've gone and sat down at the station with the others (and they did ask me what I was doing a couple of times when I didn't), but I felt like that lady needed me, and I was capable of giving myself to her, so I should.

Once again - like this previous poster stated - integrity is what you do when nobody is looking (and if they are looking, you do it anyway - even if they think you're wrong or silly).

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