Standards of care from a legal and a nursing perspective

Standards of Nursing Care Standards of nursing care from a legal and a nursing perspective All registered nurses hold the responsibility and accountability of safe, ethical, compassionate, and competent practice according to their individual and legislated scope of practice (Guido, 2013). As such, these practitioners ought to be responsible and accountable for any decisions made or actions taken while in practice. In addition, it is important for each nurse to uphold accountability in terms of evaluating their practice. In order to ensure that their practice is in line with the provided standards, it is up to the registered nurse to question any practices or policies that are in conflict with the set standards of practicing for nurses. The nurse is also expected to recognize adequately and report adverse cases or near misses and to take any possible actions that would minimize or prevent harm as a result of adverse events. As such, it is important for nurses to seek appropriate assistance where required and contribute to a supportive, safe and professional environment in their practice, in order to uphold client well-being and to uphold the trust of the public in the profession (Cartwright-Vanzant, 2011).
The current professional environment is defined by increased competence resulting from the constant change in practice and technology. The new health care systems are undergoing constant evolution, and the consumers are looking for health care providers with high competences to handle their changing needs (Cartwright-Vanzant, 2011). Upon licensing of a nurse, they are viewed as having met the minimum competency levels. As such, various standards have been developed to ensure that such competency is enhanced throughout their practice. The nurses are thus left with the sole duty of expanding and enhancing their skills and knowledge in order to maintain a high level of competency equal to their role. It is for the nurse to take up responsibility for the personal knowledge and skills’ currency. Through evaluation of an individual nurse’s performance by other health professionals, a nurse’s responsibility to the society is upheld (Guido, 2013).
References
Cartwright-Vanzant, R. (2011). Standards of Care Consulting. Journal of Legal Nurse, 22(1), 14-18.
Guido, G. W. (2013). Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Prentice Hall.