National Nurses
Week: Ethical Practice.
Quality Care.
Nurses were voted the most honest and
ethical professionals for the 13th year in
a row according to the annual Gallup
survey released in December 2014.
The Gallup poll on trust in professionals
revealed that 80 percent of Americans
rated nurses’ honesty and ethical
standards as “very high” or “high,”
15 percent above any other profession.
To continue this positive momentum,
the American Nurses Association
(ANA) announced “Ethical Practice.
Quality Care.” as the theme for the
2015 National Nurses Week. From May
6-12, nurses are annually celebrated
and recognized during National Nurses
Week for their vital contributions in
the healthcare community. “Ethical
Practice. Quality Care.” is a part of the
ANA’s yearlong campaign to promote
and advocate for the rights, health, and
safety of nurses and patients. The ethics
initiative originated from the recent
update to the Code of Ethics for Nurses
with Interpretive Statements released by
the ANA in January 2015.
Thousands of nurses submitted their
feedback during the four-year revision
process to ensure that the Code would
reflect modern clinical practices and
address the conditions of an evolving
healthcare environment. With subjects
ranging from end-of-life care to patient
confidentially in the age of social media,
the Code acts as a guide and support for
nurses.
“I am excited that Stevenson
University’s year of integrity coincides
with the ANA’s theme of ‘Ethical
Practice. Quality Care.’ to help support
the importance of these values,” Associate
Dean, RNBS and Graduate Nursing,
Judith Feustle, Sc.D., RN comments.
“At Stevenson, we focus on integrity and
professionalism in all of our programs to
help graduates successfully navigate their
personal and professional lives.”
Stevenson University is proud to
celebrate National Nurses Week.
Check back with us on Facebook or
Twitter in the coming weeks for details.
“The
Nightingale
Pledge”
National Nurses Week is also an opportunity to honor Florence Nightingale for
her efforts in legitimatizing nursing as
profession. The week always concludes on
her birthday, also known as International
Nurses Day. Traced back to 1896, the
Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements originated from a modified
version of the Hippocratic Oath titled the
“Nightingale Pledge.”
I solemnly pledge myself before God and
in the presence of this assembly, to pass my
life in purity and to practice my profession
faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is
deleterious and mischievous, and will not
take or knowingly administer any harmful
drug. I will do all in my power to maintain
and elevate the standard of my profession,
and will hold in confidence all personal
matters committed to my keeping and all
family affairs coming to my knowledge in
the practice of my calling. With loyalty will
I endeavor to aid the physician in his work,
and devote myself to the welfare of those
committed to my care.
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