Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values

 

 

### Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional Values

**Summary Explanation**

Essential VIII focuses on the importance of professionalism and the embodiment of core values in nursing practice. This essential underscores the significance of adhering to ethical principles, displaying altruism, ensuring patient autonomy, and committing to social justice within the healthcare environment. Professionalism in nursing involves continuous self-reflection, maintaining integrity, and demonstrating respect for the dignity of all individuals (American Association of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2008).

Professional values guide nurses in their interactions with patients, families, and colleagues, ensuring that care is patient-centered and culturally sensitive. These values also promote lifelong learning and professional development, enabling nurses to adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape and advocate for patients effectively (Fahrenwald et al., 2005).

**Example of Meeting Essential VIII During Nursing Program**

During my nursing program, I had the opportunity to participate in a community health initiative aimed at providing healthcare services to underserved populations. This project required a high level of professionalism and adherence to the core values outlined in Essential VIII.

**Example Experience: Community Health Initiative**

**Project Description:**
I was part of a team that organized and executed a series of health fairs in low-income neighborhoods. Our goal was to provide free health screenings, education on chronic disease management, and resources for accessing local healthcare services.

**Professionalism and Core Values in Action:**

1. **Altruism:**
– Demonstrated a selfless concern for the well-being of the community members by volunteering my time and skills. I worked beyond regular hours to ensure the success of the health fairs.

2. **Ethics:**
– Adhered to ethical principles by maintaining patient confidentiality during health screenings and providing unbiased, evidence-based health education.

3. **Respect for Dignity:**
– Showed respect for the dignity of each individual by offering culturally sensitive care and addressing each patient’s unique needs with empathy and compassion.

4. **Patient Autonomy:**
– Encouraged patient autonomy by providing information that enabled individuals to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare options.

5. **Social Justice:**
– Advocated for social justice by highlighting the healthcare disparities faced by underserved populations and working to connect community members with necessary resources.

**Outcome:**
The initiative successfully reached hundreds of community members, many of whom reported that they had not accessed healthcare services in years. This experience reinforced my commitment to professionalism and the core values of nursing, demonstrating how these principles can lead to meaningful and positive impacts on public health.

### References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). *The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice*. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/BaccEssentials08.pdf

Fahrenwald, N. L., Bassett, S., Tschetter, L., Carson, P. P., White, L., & Winterboer, V. J. (2005). Teaching core nursing values. *Journal of Professional Nursing, 21*(1), 46-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2004.11.001

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