Professional Nurse Accountability Research Paper

Professional Nurse Accountability - Research Paper Example    In addition to that autonomy and authority are administrative tools for control whereas accountability is a moral principle that governs the relationship between the givers of authority and the recipients (Mackie, Martin & Thomson, 1995). Currently, the nursing profession has made great inroads with regards to engraining accountability amongst its practitioners. Firstly, nurses have established several professional standards outlining the guidelines and principles for the all who seek to join in the profession. For example, the American Nurses Association (ANA) developed a Code for Nurses which â€Å"provides a clear framework within which nurses can seek to uphold the standards of care and protect the clients they serve† (Hood & Leddy, 2006, p.307). Also, each state in the United States has mandatory guidelines in place that distinguish professional nursing from other health professions, defines the professional nursing practice and specifies their scope of practice. In addition to the institution of professional standards, the nursing fraternity is actively pursuing methods of improving the state of the health care delivery system. This manifests maturity and professionalism within nursing because by accepting an appropriate degree of responsibility for the current situation, nurses are able to legitimize their claim for a piece of the healthcare pie. Thirdly, the profession of nursing is encouraging its members to be aware of and accountable for not only their actions but also those of their colleagues. This is done through initiatives such as reporting chemically impaired coworkers. According to Hood and Leddy (2006), there are forty state boards of nursing that offer alternatives to disciplinary actions that involve legally binding programs for detoxification, treatment, peer assistance and so on that are  geared to assist chemically impaired coworkers.