The concepts of responsibility, accountability and autonomy are intrinsically linked in determining the scope of nursing and midwifery practice. Nurses and midwives hold positions of responsibility and are, therefore, expected to be accountable for their practice. Responsibility and accountability are the cornerstones of professional nursing and midwifery practice, and are represented as a key principle in the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives. Show
Responsibility is explained as the obligation to perform duties, tasks or roles using sound professional judgement and being answerable for the decisions made in doing this. A nurse or midwife who is considering expanding their scope of practice should realise that this will involve greater responsibility. Accountability is understood as being able to give an account of one’s nursing and midwifery judgements, actions and omissions. Accountability is about maintaining competency and safeguarding quality patient care outcomes and standards of the profession, while being answerable to those who are affected by one’s nursing or midwifery practice. Accountability means being answerable for the decisions made in the course of one’s professional practice. A nurse or a midwife should be able to give reasons for the decisions they make in their professional practice and should justify their decisions in the context of legislation, professional standards and guidelines, evidence-based practice and professional and ethical conduct. Nurses and midwives are accountable both legally and professionally for their practice, that is, for the decisions they make and the consequences of those decisions. Nurses and midwives are accountable to the patient, the public, their regulatory body, their employer and any relevant supervisory authority. Legal accountability involves nurses and midwives being responsible for ensuring they have appropriate professional indemnity insurance, as patients have a right to expect them to hold this insurance in case there is a substantiated claim of professional negligence. Accountability cannot be achieved unless the nurse or midwife has autonomy to practise. Autonomy refers to a nurse or midwife’s ability to “make some decisions within their own profession and their right and responsibility to act according to the shared standards of that profession” (Varjus et al. 2010). Professional autonomy stems from the ability to use various kinds of knowledge in a critical manner, which offers safe, quality health care to patients. Individual levels of autonomy can vary depending on legislative, organisational and individual factors.
. 2021 Jan;30(1-2):188-199. doi: 10.1111/jocn.15539. Epub 2020 Nov 20. Affiliations
A hermeneutical study of professional accountability in nursingLorna Chesterton et al. J Clin Nurs. 2021 Jan. AbstractAims and objectives: This paper presents findings from a hermeneutical study which sought to explore how registered nurses experienced and perceived their professional accountability in clinical settings. Background: Professional accountability encompasses the ideals and standards of nursing practice. Nurses are accountable for their actions under civil, criminal and contract law to their; employing organisation, their regulatory body and the patients for whom they care. Design: This paper reports on a Heideggerian hermeneutical study involving seven registered nurses, working in clinical practice in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Methods The study adopted purposive sampling, collecting data by means of in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using the hermeneutic circle. COREQ checklist was used as a reporting guideline for this study. Results: The findings suggest that professional accountability in nursing practice is a complex phenomenon, which can be compromised by many factors which are historically, socially or politically driven Participants experienced challenges through a lack of resources and poor managerial support, which compromised their ability to deliver high-quality patient care. However, collegiality strongly impacted upon resilience and positively influenced their well-being. Relevance to clinical practice: Amid the challenges of the clinical workplace, a positive workplace culture with visible managerial support is a fundamental requirement in supporting professional accountability, development and retention of nurses. Findings highlight the view that leadership should be seen as a collective responsibility, which empowers staff to positively change the practice environment. Keywords: culture; hermeneutics; nurses; phenomenology; professional accountability. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Similar articles
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What is professional accountability nurse?Nurses and midwives are accountable both legally and professionally for their practice, that is, for the decisions they make and the consequences of those decisions. Nurses and midwives are accountable to the patient, the public, their regulatory body, their employer and any relevant supervisory authority.
How does a nurse demonstrate professional accountability?One way to demonstrate accountability in nursing is to use resources for their intended purpose. Taking care of equipment, administering medications as prescribed, and documenting any supplies used in patient care also demonstrate accountability to your patients and employer.
How a nurse demonstrates professional accountability in nursing process?Accountability at a glance
complying with professional standards and staying updated as those standards change. using evidence-based practice in patient care. accepting shared accountability with other nursing and interprofessional team members for quality patient outcomes. following workplace policies and procedures.
How does the nurse maintain accountability for his her actions in the profession?Nurses are expected to take responsibility for their own actions (including errors) and ensuring their practice is consistent with practice standards, guidelines and all legislation appropriate to the profession.
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What is the concept of professional accountability as it pertains to nursing?
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