Professionalism in Nursing
Purpose and scope
The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is:
- To identify the concept of professionalism as a guiding tenet that enhances outcomes for nurses, patients, organizations and systems.
- To define the attributes of professionalism.
- To identify and discuss the evidence related to each attribute of professionalism.
- To provide strategies for success.
The guideline is relevant to all domains of nursing (e.g., clinical practice, administration, education, research and policy) and all practice and geographical settings. The guideline is intended for:
- Nurses in all roles including clinical nurses, administrators, educators and researchers those engaged in policy work, and nursing students,
- Interdisciplinary team members,
- Non-nursing administrators at the organizational and system level,
- Policy makers and governments,
- Professional organizations and regulatory bodies, and
- Members of the public.
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (2007). Professionalism in Nursing. Toronto, Canada: Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario
Recommendations
Do you want to learn about and implement the most- up-to-date evidence-based recommendations on this topic with your colleagues? Download and share the full best practice guideline (BPG), Professionalism in Nursing.
See below for a snapshot of the recommendations from this BPG. We strongly suggest you review the full BPG before implementing the recommendations and good practice statements. The BPG also includes further resources to support implementation and evaluation.
Recommendation 1.0: Professionalism includes:
- 1.1 A body of knowledge that is theoretical, practical and clinical.
- 1.2 Being able to apply that knowledge.
- 1.3 Using theoretical and/or evidence-based rationale for practice.
- 1.4 Synthesizing information from a variety of sources.
- 1.5 Using information or evidence from nursing and other disciplines to inform practice.
- 1.6 Sharing or communicating knowledge with colleagues, clients, family and others to continually improve care and health outcomes.
Recommendation 2.0: Professionalism includes:
- 2.1 Being open-minded and having the desire to explore new knowledge.
- 2.2 Asking questions leading to the generation of knowledge and refinement of existing knowledge.
- 2.3 Striving to define patterns of responses from clients, stakeholders and their context.
- 2.4 Being committed to life-long learning.
Recommendation 3.0: Professionalism includes:
- 3.1 Understanding the meaning of self-regulation and its implications for practice.
- 3.2 Using legislation, standards of practice and a code of ethics to clarify one's scope of practice.
- 3.3 Being committed to work with clients and families to achieve desired outcomes.
- 3.4 Being actively engaged in advancing the quality of care.
- 3.5 Recognizing personal capabilities, knowledge base and areas for development.
Recommendation 4.0: Professionalism includes:
- 4.1 Working independently and exercising decision-making within one's appropriate scope of practice.
- 4.2 Recognizing relational autonomy and the effects of the context and relationships on this autonomy.
- 4.3 Becoming aware of barriers and constraints that may interfere with one's autonomy and seeking ways to remedy the situation.
Recommendation 5.0: Professionalism includes:
- 5.1 Understanding the client's perspective.
- 5.2 Assisting the client with their learning needs.
- 5.3 Being involved in professional practice initiatives and activities to enhance health care.
- 5.4 Being knowledgeable about policies that impact on delivery of health care.
Recommendation 6.0: Professionalism includes:
- 6.1 Fostering a culture of innovation to enhance client/family outcomes.
- 6.2 Showing initiative for new ideas and being involved through taking action.
- 6.3 Influencing the future of nursing, delivery of health care and the health care system.
Recommendation 7.0: Professionalism includes:
- 7.1 Developing collaborative partnerships within a professional context.
- 7.2 Acting as a mentor to nurses, nursing students and colleagues to enhance and support professional growth.
- 7.3 Acknowledging and recognizing interdependence between care providers
Recommendation 8.0: Professionalism includes:
- 8.1 Knowledgeable about ethical values, concepts and decision-making.
- 8.2 Being able to identify ethical concerns, issues and dilemmas.
- 8.3 Applying knowledge of nursing ethics to make decisions and to act on decisions.
- 8.4 Being able to collect and use information from various sources for ethical decision-making.
- 8.5 Collaborating with colleagues to develop and maintain a practice environment that supports nurses and respects their ethical and professional responsibilities.
- 8.6 Engaging in critical thinking about ethical issues in clinical and professional practice.
Disclaimer: These guidelines are not binding for nurses, other health providers or the organizations that employ them. The use of these guidelines should be flexible and based on individual needs and local circumstances. They constitute neither a liability nor discharge from liability. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents at the time of publication, neither the authors nor the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) gives any guarantee as to the accuracy of the information contained in them or accepts any liability with respect to loss, damage, injury or expense arising from any such errors or omission in the contents of this work.
Revision status
Current edition published: March 2007
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