Nursing has been called a 鈥渃aring profession鈥� that is part science and part art. It鈥檚 also a profession that鈥檚 based on strong ethical guidelines. According to NursingWorld.org, nurses and nurse administrators 鈥渉ave a responsibility to practice in a consistently ethical manner.鈥� They deal with confidentiality issues on a daily basis and must understand when those issues need to be safeguarded鈥nd when they can be overridden.
A very public case of confidentiality arose in July when a Utah nurse was arrested for not complying with a police order. Nurse was told to draw blood from an unconscious patient for a police investigation. Refusing the request, Wubbels explained that detectives needed a warrant, patient consent, or had to declare an intent to arrest the patient for her to comply. Instead, a detective cuffed Wubbels, declared he was going to arrest her, and took the nurse to his squad car as Wubbels asserted she had done nothing wrong.
America鈥檚 largest nursing union, National Nurses United, called the incident 鈥渙utrageous,鈥� and public sentiment backed Wubbels when video of her 鈥渁rrest鈥� went viral. Ultimately, Wubbels was not charged with a crime and Salt Lake City鈥檚 mayor apologized for what happened, calling the arrest 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥�
Still, the incident鈥hough unusual鈥mphasizes the pressures and the boundaries with which nurses must deal every day -聽 that guide nursing relationships, such as always treating each patient with dignity and respect; inspiring confidence and trust; and maintaining credibility.
While patients will always be paramount for nurses, it鈥檚 easy to see why being the best nurse possible for one鈥檚 patient often extends beyond the physical care a nurse provides. And why nursing knowledge includes much more than just clinical healthcare.
As has often been said, 鈥淚t takes a special kind of person to be a nurse.鈥� If you鈥檙e one of those special people, Fortis Colleges and Institutes provide the education and training that can help you excel in the profession. To learn more about the school鈥檚 nursing options and the campuses nearest to you that offer nursing programs, .
It鈥檚 a career that will be challenging, for sure; but also very rewarding. Because, nursing never goes out of style.