Professional Practice

Practices in accordance with legislation affection nursing practice and health care:

• Identifies legislation governing nursing practice
• Describes nursing practice within the requirements of common law
• describes and adheres to legal requirements for medications
• identifies legal implications of nursing interventions
• actions demonstrate awareness of legal
• implications of nursing practice
• identifies and explains effects of legislation on the care of individuals/groups
• identifies and explains effects of legislation in the area of health, and
• identifies unprofessional practice as it relates to confidentiality and privacy legislation.

Fulfils the duty of care:

• Performs nursing interventions in accordance with recognised standards of practice.
• Clarifies responsibility for aspects of care with other members of the health team.
• Recognises the reasonability to prevent harm.
• Performs nursing interventions following comprehensive and accurate assessments.

Recognises and responds appropriately to unsafe or unprofessional practice:

• Identifies interventions which prevent care being compromised and/or law contravened
• Identifies appropriate action to be taken in specified circumstances.
• Identifies and explains alternative strategies for intervention and their likely outcomes.
• Identifies behaviour that is detrimental to achieving optimal care.
• Follows up incidents of unsafe practice to prevent re-occurrence.

I fulfill the above competency by practising using the professional standards of nursing, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, Authorised Registered Nurse/Midwife Vaccination Standards, Privacy Act 1988, Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017.

Further evidence which can be found in my current position description, located in the personal details section of this website.

I have also included a de-identified copy of an incident submission and a copy of the debriefing notes from the senior RN who assisted me through the situation.

Also included is a de-identified copy of a mental health initial assessment that I assisted a senior psychiatrist with and reported. 

I have participated in a survey on suicide prevention which was conducted by the Social Research Centre of the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales.

Practices in accordance with legislation affection nursing practice and health care:

• Accepts individuals/groups regardless of race, culture, religion, age, gender, sexual preference, physical or mental state.
• Ensures that personal values and attitudes are not imposed on others.
• Conducts assessments that are sensitive to the needs of individuals/groups.
• Recognises and accepts the rights of others.
• Maintains an effective process of care when confronted by differing values, beliefs and biases.
• Seeks assistance to resolve situations involving moral conflict.
• Identifies and attempts to overcome factors which may constrain ethical decisions in consultation with the health care team.

Integrates organisational policies and guidelines with professional standards:

• Maintains current knowledge of and incorporates relevant professional standards into practice.
• Maintains current knowledge of and incorporates organisational policies and guidelines into practice.
• Reviews and provides feedback on the relevance of organisational policies and professional standards procedures to practice.
• Demonstrates awareness and understanding of developments in nursing that have an impact on the individual’s capacity to practice nursing.

Demonstrates respect for individuals/group common and legal rights in relation to health care.

• Identifies and adheres to strategies to promote and protect individual/group rights.
• Considers individual/group preferences when providing care.
• Clarifies individual/group requests to change and/or reuse care with relevant members of the health care team.
• Advocates for individuals/groups when rights are overlooked and/or compromised.
• Accepts individuals/groups to whom care is provided regardless of race, culture, religion, age, gender, sexual preference, physical or mental state.
• Ensures that personal values and attitudes are not imposed on others.
• Undertakes assessments which are sensitive to the needs of individuals/groups.
• Recognises and accepts and rights of others.
• Maintains and effective process of care when confronted by differing values, beliefs and biases.
• Provides appropriate information within the nurse’s scope of practice to individuals/groups.
• Consults relevant members of the health care team when required.
• Questions and/or clarifies orders and decisions that are unclear, not understood or questionable.
• Questions and/or clarifies interventions that appear inappropriate with relevant members of the health care team.

Identifies when resources are insufficient to meet care needs of individuals/groups.

• Communicates skill mix requirements to meet care needs of individuals/groups to management.
• Protects the rights of individuals and groups and facilitates informed decisions.
• Identifies and explains policies/practices which infringes on the rights of individuals or groups.
• Clarifies policies, procedures and guidelines when rights of individuals or groups are compromised.
• Recommends changes to policies, procedures and guidelines when rights are compromised.

Seeks clarification when questions, directions and decisions are unclear or not understood.

• Undertakes decisions about care that are within scope of competence without consulting senior staff.
• Raises concerns about inappropriate delegation with the appropriate registered nurse.
• Demonstrates accountability and responsibility for own actions within nursing practice.
• Assesses consequences of various outcomes of decision making.
• Consults relevant members of the health care team when required.
• Questions and/or clarifies interventions which appear inappropriate with relevant members of the health care team.

Integrates nursing and health care knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide safe and effective nursing care:

• Maintains a current knowledge base.
• Considers ethical responsibilities in all aspects of practice.
• Ensures privacy and confidentiality when providing care.
• Questions and/or clarifies interventions which appear inappropriate with relevant members of the health care team.

Recognises the differences in accountability and responsibility between registered nurses, enrolled nurses and unlicensed care workers:

• Understands requirements of statutory and professionally regulated practice.
• Understands requirements for delegation and supervision of practice.
• Raises concerns about inappropriate delegation with relevant organisational or regulatory personnel.

I fulfil the above competency by providing evidence which can be found in my current position description, located in the personal details section of this website.