Nursing: "Seasons of Change"



"Autumn"

Standards for Nursing Practice

Nurses pride themselves with their commitment to high standards for quality patient care. However, it is becoming impossible to maintain these standards within healthcare reform, riddled with constraints. Nurses are required to care for patients and their families in suboptimal working environments resulting in negative outcomes for patients and nurses.
Dunleavy, Shamian & Thomson (2003) revealed: "Cutbacks that compromise nurses� ability to provide good care have generated anger towards a system that seems to have forgotten that health care �is about people�. With the increase emphasis on efficiency in their workplace, nurses are left feeling that the driving force behind health care is money instead of the needs of patient" (p. 25).
According to the Registered Nurses of British Columbia (RNABC), �nursing has a proud history of service. For that reason, the public has come to trust registered nurses to provide the very best in expert, professional nursing care� (2000).
It is through the implementation of nursing standards that trust has been cultivated. When nurses are unable to meet their standards of practice, the patient is at risk of harmful doing. Risk management comes to the forefront baring ethical and legal implications, and public trust is jeopardized.

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References:
  • Dunleavy, J., Shamain, J. & Thomson, D. (2003). Handcuffed by Cutbacks. Canadian Nurse 99(3) 23-26

  • RNABC (2000). Standards for Nursing Practice. Retrieved from http://www.rnabc.bc.ca/pdf/STAN2000.pdf April 2, 2003.

  • Graphics retrieved from www.freefoto.com April 2, 2003.

  • Graphics retrieved from www.patswebgraphics.com April 2, 2003.


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    This site was created by Allison Filewich, April 2003
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