Standards of Nursing Care: Nursing Process and professional ethics

Abstract

Nursing profession is closely related to treating humans.  It is associated with the death or alive situation. Therefore, in practice, there are differences between individuals which require nursing process for a standard practice. It consists of five stages: a health assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. Even though nursing professionals are health services providers,  a law is required to control the quality of nursing standards and ethics of the profession, which Nursing Council indicated. This is for the safety of patients, respecting the dignity of patients, and minimizing lawsuits from people who have been injured.  Therefore, in addition to the nursing professional knowledge, and nursing skills, practical nurses must be based on ethical standard and nursing professional, based on universal health care practice which are to do no harm, or do not do bad things (maleficence), recognizing the independence of their own body (Autonomy), honesty (fidelity), act in goodness and usefulness (Beneficence), to tell the truth (Veracity), and just (Justice).  Moreover, there are also major ethical principles in nursing practice, including individual rights protection, advocacy, accountability, cooperation, and caring.