Ohio Nursing Licensure Requirements, Essay Example

The licensed medical practitioners in Ohio are guided by accepted standards as directed by the state’s laws and also the professional guidelines and this covers the nurses as well. Nurse Practice Act, NPA in Ohio Administrative Code S. 4723 defines the scope of practice for the nurses. The scope of practice for nurses and their professional responsibilities under the Nurse Practice Act is protection as well as promotion of health to the entire citizens with the use of safe practices of nursing (Mirr Jansen, 2006). This humble mission and obligation is achieved through the establishment of academic criteria for the nursing institutions, promulgation of legislations that control nurses’ scope of practice, the issuance of working licenses as well as giving discipline to the licensees who act against the set rules (Aiken, 2006).

Due to the dynamic nature of the nursing practice, issues of some tasks falling within the scope of practice of the nurses are likely to be subjects of discussion. The care anticipated from the nurses must match the level of education of the nurses, their past experience, demonstrated competency, skills as well their preparation. The professional codes of conduct as well as professional standards guiding the nursing profession influence the performance of the nursing practice since the guidelines provided that patient safety must be given the top priority in this practice. The professional standards also guide them towards implementation of measures that lead to the promotion of a safer environment for their patients and upholding a professional boundary with the patients. The professional standards also guide them in upholding the privacy of their clients and treating them with utmost respect, dignity as well as courtesy.

The professional codes of conduct and the professional standards in the nursing profession serves as important guides in the execution of responsibilities of this profession in an approach that matches the desired quality as well as the ethical obligations that are associated with this practice. The professional codes have interpretive statements that offer a useful framework for ethical decision making and analysis for nurses and form the basis of professional standards in this profession (Aiken,Buchan, Sochaiski, Nichols & Powerll, 2004).

The importance of professional standards is based on the role played by ethics as an essential segment and the distinguished role of nursing in addressing the needs of the injured people, the sick and the vulnerable in the society. The important concern of nursing profession is embodied in delivery of quality nursing care to the patients as well as the society at large. The nursing practice is charged with the responsibility of illness and disease prevention, alleviating suffering in patients, promoting, defending and restoring the health status of the patients, their families, groups as well as the entire community. Achievements of these core responsibilities must be guided by professional standards (Aiken, 2002). Nurses also have a responsibility of transforming some features of the social structure which are responsible for detracting from well being and health. People who chose nursing as their career have a duty of respecting and observing the ideals as well as the moral norms that are required by their profession. The professional standards also help them to exercise ethical tradition that requires them to be distinctive, self-reflective as well as enduring. The primary goals, obligations as well as values of nursing profession are reflected in the professional standards.

References

Aiken, L. H. (2002). Commentary. Medical Care Research and Review, 59(2), 215-222.

Aiken, L. (2006). Nurses: 7 myths about the nursing shortage. Iowa Nurse Reporter, 19(4), 17.

Aiken, L., Buchan, J., Sochaiski, J., Nichols, B., & Powerll, M. (2004). Trends in international nurse migration. Health Affairs, 23(3), 69-77.

Mirr Jansen, M. P. (2006). Professional issues: Licensure, certification, prescriptive privileges, credentialing, and legal issues. In M. P. Mirr Jansen & M. Zwygart-Stauffacher (Eds.), Advanced practice nursing (3rd ed., 107–120). New York: Springer.