Professionalism

The Newfoundland and Labrador College of Nurses¹, is the regulatory body for nurses in the province. The mandate of the College is to protect the public through regulation of the nursing profession in accordance with the Nurses Act.

Professionalism² in nursing is achieved through demonstrating an accountable, knowledgeable, visible, and ethical practice while maintaining a professional presence and adhering to the professional standards³ in all roles and practice settings.

A professional presence requires nurses to engage in reflective practice, and in accordance with professional standards demonstrate behaviours, including verbal and non-verbal, that articulate a positive role and professional image. Nursing and psychiatric nursing practice occurs in a variety of clinical and non-clinical environments. Regardless of one’s practice environment, the expectations related to professionalism apply equally to all nurses.

Professionalism implies a commitment to public interest and assumes adherence to a set of values that are owned and understood by all. Nurses must invoke the elements of professionalism when:

• providing nursing or psychiatric nursing services
• collaborating with clients, colleagues, other members of the health care team and the public
• fostering the development of other nurses
• endeavouring to address workplace and system improvements, and
• advocating for healthy public policy.

The expectations for upholding the elements of professionalism are threaded throughout the professional standards for nurses. To facilitate understanding and application of the professional standards in relation to professionalism, the interrelated elements of accountable, knowledgeable, visible and ethical practice are further outlined in this document.

Accountable

Accountability includes being answerable and responsible for actions, inactions, judgments, consequences and outcomes. Nurses accept their obligation to be accountable and to acknowledge and uphold the professional, ethical, and legal aspects of their practice.

In practice, nurses adhere to:

• legislation
• professional standards
• relevant employer policies
• expectations outlined in other College documents (e.g., Social Medial and Networking Platforms, Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship) which have been developed to promote good practice and prevent poor practice.

Nurses accept responsibility not only for the service provided but for carrying out that service in a safe, competent, and ethical manner. Nurses safeguard quality client care, and accept the primary responsibility for their continuing competence.

Nurses are accountable, at all times, to the client, employer, colleagues, profession and the public. Accountability resides in a role and cannot be delegated away.

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