Seeing nursing through the eyes of a passionate, mature student
Dar es Salaam. The question whether nursing is for men or women does not need debate for Meleka Constantine, who, at 50 and a father of seven, is still in class striving to get a Bachelor's degree in nursing- a dream he has held since 1980.Looking energetic and determined to make it through nursing, the third-year student at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, is not deterred by wrong perceptions. He believes there is nothing feminine about wanting to care for patients or help those in need of medical assistance. “To me, nursing is about being an advocate of a patient; abiding by ethics and diagnosing his or her needs, but above all, being patient-centred in delivering health care and doing it wholeheartedly. Men are as compassionate as women and I know many who have made a career out of doing something that they love,” he says.
Recently , Meleka joined the rest of the students from other courses, at an academic event organised annually at the university, and scooped Sh60,000, after making a perfect presentation titled, ‘Nursing and understaffing’. The event, dubbed ‘Win and Learn’ was aimed at gathering students from various disciplines of health to showcase their research findings, with an anticipation of winning an award. To him, the best topic for research had to be on his career, given the serious shortage of dedicated nurses that the health sector currently faces.
Driven by curiosity and the experience he has gained over the past 25 years in nursing, Meleka found out in his research that many nurses fail to deliver healthcare adequately because they are demoralised. Maleka believes the media is one of the most important tools that could shape a positive mentality towards nurses. But where the media itself doesn’t correctly understand the profession, the society risks being misled, he argues.
He points out some scenes in movies where only women are used to represent the roles of a nurse, and nurses being portrayed as just assistants of doctors, and not professionals with their own ethical and professional principles. “At some point, the media is to blame when people think negatively about nursing. I have watched many Tanzanian movies with scenarios that portray nurses as just assistants to doctors, and only women being used to play those parts that show the role of a nurse. I think movie makers need to consult professional experts if they are to portray properly what a nurse does at the hospital, otherwise the society may fail to utilise fully the potential of a nurse because of the misunderstanding.” The shortage has over the years been attributed to the poor work conditions under which the nurses practise. Consequently, many quit working in the country in pursuit for greener pastures abroad.
Nursing Ethical Principles - News
He points out some scenes in movies where only women are used to represent the roles of a nurse, and nurses being portrayed as just assistants of doctors, and not professionals with their own ethical and professional principles.
In neither case is it moral, ethical, or legal to leave a dependent individual home alone, unsupervised and without care. Also, in each case, a working adult family member has some peace-of-mind -- if he or she is still lucky enough to have a job in
GW's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) seeks to improve politics by educating students and professionals in the tools, principles and values of participatory democracy. Students are prepared for careers as ethical and effective advocates
Medical simulation cannot solve all the challenges facing the medical and nursing professions, but it does offer an unprecedented way of learning. "The use of simulation wherever feasible conveys a critical educational and ethical message to all:
“It is worth noting, too, that US policy requires physicians to act contrary to international and domestic ethical standards,” says Rubenstein, a senior scholar at the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Nursing Ethical principles - Nursing Diagnosis
- The word autonomy IS derived from the Latin word auto meaning “self’, and nomy meaning “control”.
- Autonomy is the right of individuals to govern their actions according to their own reasons and purposes.
- Respect for autonomy requires that a person honor another’s right to govern him/or herself
- Autonomy has certain limitations such as: when the rights of one individual interfere with the rights of another; and when there is a high probability that a person may injury himself or herself or others. Thus,
- Informed consent is the permission obtained from a patient to have a test or procedure performed after the patient has been fully informed about the test or procedure.
- The consent mayor may not be in writing, but a written consent provides better legal protection for health care providers.
- Patients must give the consent voluntarily without coerCIOn or persuasion. Moreover, they must be mentally competent (having mental and psychological capacity to make decisions).
- Patients who are unconscious, have serious or enduring mental health problems, some older people and some individuals with learning disabilities may lack competence, either temporarily or pennanently.
- In clinical situation, this means that a physician describes the procedure and/or surgery to the patient in terms understood by the patient. The description includes potential benefits of the patient as well as possible risks and should not imply any guarantee of results. Nurses frequently seek expressed consent from patients in a consent form. They are obligated to ensure that: The patient is given appropriate infonnation; able to understand the information, and voluntarily agrees to the test or procedures.
• And giving false information.
- In health care, family members will often request health care providers not to tell their loved ones the truth about their diagnosis or prognosis. When the patient has a terminal diagnosis such as cancer, health care providers, may have difficulty sharing thus information with patient that will result in unhappiness anxiety, depression or fear.
- Confidentiality means that information entrusted to professionals in the line of duty should not be revealed to others.
- AU health professions include in their professional code a requirement to preserve the confidentiality of health infonnation, which is considered an integral component of the nurse-patient relationship.
Nursing Ethical Principles - Bookshelf
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