Once nursing professionals have fulfilled all the requirements to obtain their nursing license, it is their responsibility to maintain it and to act in a manner whereby they remain eligible to practice their profession. Consequently, nurses must be thoroughly familiar with the Nurse’s Code of Professional Conduct.
Nurses who do breach the Nurse’s Code of Professional Conduct, whether intentionally or not, may compromise their licensure and cause an abrupt ending to a promising career.
Nurse’s Code of Professional Conduct
Also referenced as the Nurse’s Code of Ethics, Chron explains that the Nurse’s Code of Professional Conduct is a complete list of rules which all nursing professionals must adhere to. These include the following:
• They must practice tolerance, as well as global and cultural sensitivity
• They must accept responsibility for their actions at work
• They must protect patient dignity, maintain privacy and encourage healing
• They must practice integrity in their dealings with patients and co-workers
• They must prioritize patient safety and act with care
Licensure revocation defense
According to the American Nurses Association, mistakes such as engaging in unbecoming behavior could compromise a nursing professional’s licensure. If this happens, health care professionals have the right to defend themselves against the charges and plead to have their license reinstated.
With evidence proving that the questionable behavior was not a significant enough offense to warrant revocation, for example, nursing professionals may have a winning chance at getting their professional license reinstated so they can continue to practice medicine. Their focus should rest on their ability to rebuild their reputation and establish trust and credibility with their patients.