2023 Outline the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing Provide examples of how a nurse demonstrates professional accountability

 

Outline the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing. Provide examples of how a nurse demonstrates professional accountability in clinical expertise, the nursing process, and evidence-based practice.  

Professional nursing accountability is when a nurse takes responsibility for their   actions, judgments, and omissions when caring for patients .      Professional accountability  is also having the responsibility of remaining competent and up to date in all nursing and health care practices   (Green, S 2018).   Nurses should also have  integrity  that is always maintained ,  through their  actions, practices, and attitudes which  they  display to their patients  and interdisciplinary team.   

A nurse can demonstrate professional accountability in clinical expertise  for example by  ensuring that  they are always  properly giving blood products to a patient.  Using their clinical expertise, they know they need to have an order, consent, two licensed professionals to verify the blood products and the patient before administration, and to stay with the patient for the first fifteen minutes of the transfusion. Doing this is  advocating for  the patient to get the correct products safely and  requires a  certain professional attendanc e.   

In the nursing process, a nurse can demonstrate professional accountability  by using safe practices.  S uch  as  educating the patient of signs and symptoms of a transfusion reaction, to notify staff if they have any questions and concerns during the transfusion  immediately and  reporting  and intervening if there is a reaction.  

P rofessional accountability can be shown in the evidence-based practices (EBP).  A nurse being educated and up to date on educations such as EBP and using it to help improve action and promote better patient outcomes.      

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