Professional Nursing University of Miami School of Nursing and

Health Studies

Welcome to the School of Nursing and Health Studies

The faculty and staff commend you on your commitment to academic advancement. You are entering into the role of a professional nurse. As a professional nurse you have standards, codes of ethics and regulations you must follow. Let’s start by taking a look at some definitions of nursing.

ANA's Definition of Nursing:

Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.

Definition of Nursing

The American Nurses Association(ANA) is an organization that represents registered nurses in the United States. The following website can be accessedfor more detailed information.

http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA.aspx

Provision of a caring relationship that facilitates health and healing,

Attention to the range of human experiences and responses to health and illness within the physical and social environments,

Integration of objective data with knowledge gained from an appreciation of the patient or group's subjective experience,

Definition of Nursing

Application of scientific knowledge to the processes of diagnosis and treatment through the use of judgment and critical thinking,

Advancement of professional nursing knowledge through scholarly inquiry, and

Influence on social and public policy to promote social justice.

Definition of Nursing

Nursing's Social Policy Statement, Second Edition, 2003, p. 6 & Nursing: Scopeand Standards of Practice, 2004, p. 7

While many definitions of the term “profession” exist mostDescribe common characteristics that are considered essential. These include:

Educational Background-Systematic Theory- Research Adherence to the code of ethics Participation in the Professional Organizations Commitment to life long learning and competency Communication Autonomy- Self Regulation

Each of these characteristics will be explored in more detail.

Miller, B, Adams, D. & Beck, L (1993)

Professionalism in Nursing

Nursing practice is guided by a body of knowledge and skills. Nursing researchers utilize the scientific method to expand on the body of knowledge unique to the discipline of nursing. Contributions of major nurse theorists will be discussed in your courses. Nurses utilize a specific nomenclature and classification systems.

These include :

◦ North American Nursing Diagnosis Association(NANDA)◦ Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC)◦ Nursing Outcomes Classification(NOC)

These concepts will be taught in your courses.

Educational Background-Systematic Theory

The professional nurse adheres to a code ofethics that has been developed to address ethical issues . The American Association of Nurses (ANA) Code of Ethics

for Nurses can be found at:

Code of Ethics

Adherence to the Code of Ethics

A few specific considerations include:

1. Maintaining appropriate boundaries with peers, faculty, clients and their significant others.

2. Confidentiality must be maintained. Refrain from gossiping about clients, staff, other

students or faculty. This is non – productive and unethical behavior . Concerns should be communicated to the appropriate individual.

Code of Ethics

Maintain confidentiality for information regarding the client

Do not remove any paperwork that could identify a client from the clinical area. For example you may not remove a laboratory report that has the clients name on it from the clinical area.

Do not discuss clinical information in a non secured areas such as the elevator, Metro rail, cafeteria, etc.

Code of Ethics

Code of EthicsNurses are ethically and legally accountable to maintain confidentiality . The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information. You will be given additional information regarding HIPAA in your courses.

University of Miami Undergraduate Honor Code

“This code has been established to protect the academic integrity of the University of Miami, to encourage consistent ethical behavior among undergraduate students, and to foster a climate of fair competition.”

Examples of violations include: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying documents and other acts of academic dishonesty.

Please refer to the University of Miami Undergraduate Honor Code Policy for further details. http://www6.miami.edu/dean-students/pdf/undergrad_honorcode.pdf

Code of Ethics

Professional nurses are encouraged to participate in nursing organizations such as the American Association of Nurses (ANA) and other specialty groups based on a nurses interest. For example a nurse who works in the intensive care setting may choose to join the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). For an extensive list of nursing organizations please visit the website listed below.

http://www.nurse.org/orgs.shtml

Participation in the Professional Organizations

Participation in the Professional Organizations

As a nursing student you will have the opportunity to join an organization. Below is a list of possible organizations you can become active in as a nursing student: National Student Nurses

Organization National Black Nursing

Student Association National Association of

Hispanic Nurses The Honor Society of

Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International

Nurses strive to provide the best nursing care to clients to promote wellness. In order to maintain excellence, a nurse must commit to life long learning and competency. Life long learning has been described as “a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals...to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes...and to apply them with confidence, creativity, and enjoyment”

Commission for a Nation of Lifelong Learners(1997). “A Nation Learning: Vision for the 21st Century” Washington, DC:

Commitment to life long learning and competency

Life Long LearningNurses utilize a variety of methods to achieve their educational goals including: attendance to seminars, involvement in professional organizations, obtaining advance degrees, research activities, subscriptions to journals, and specialty certification, collaboration with other disciplines such as medicine, occupational and physical therapy.

Utilizing effective goal oriented communicationis an essential competency for a nurse. You will communicate with your student peers, faculty,clients, clients families/significant others, nurses,and other members of the health care team.

Inadequate or poor communication among health care providers has been associated with increasederrors that jeopardize patient safety.

Communication

Utilizing the Chain of Command approach when communicating is recommended toprovide for an organized method ofcommunication. This also allows the opportunity for clarification and resolution ofissues.

Communication

:

Please refer to the “Communication” learning module for more detailed information.

Communication

Student Concern

Regarding Course

Faculty Teaching Course

Associate Dean for

Undergraduate

Program

DeanSONHS

Example : Flow of communication

Autonomy- Self Regulation

Nurses are responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating the care of clients/families/significant others. While nurses are often part of a multidisciplinary team of health care providers, nurses have autonomy over their practice.

Remember you represent the University ofMiami School of Nursing and Health

Studies(UMSONHS)on campus and in the community. Your dress,communication and overall presentation are areflection of UMSONHS and the future of nursing.

Be on time to class. Not only is it disruptive to other classmates and the faculty when students arrive late, valuable information may be missed. Turn cell phonesoff or to silence mode. Refrain from distractingbehavior such as talking and surfing the internet.

General Considerations

General Considerations

Be on time for your clinical experiences. This includes lab and simulation activities. You are expected to participate in change of shift report at the beginning of the clinical day. The client depends on the nurse to be there.

The faculty and staff at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies support your educational endeavor. We look forward to the opportunity to facilitate the learning process and your professional growth.