PROFESSIONAL NURSING Lisa Brock RN MSN NUR 102

PROFESSIONAL NURSING Lisa Brock, RN MSN NUR 102 Lab Module E

The Alabama Board of Nursing • Mission Statement The mission of the Alabama Board of Nursing is to safeguard the public’s health, safety and welfare by adopting and enforcing legal standards for nursing education and nursing practice. (www. abn. state. al. us)

History • First members appointed by the Governor, 2 Physicians and 2 Nurses, on October 28, 1915 • First official meeting held at the Tutwiler Hotel in Birmingham on November 23, 1915 • At the first meeting in 1916, 14 schools of nursing approved by the board

1920’s and 1930’s • Miss Linna Denny, now recognized as the first executive officer of the Board, actually started as the secretary of the Board. Her career, described in the 1929 American Journal of Nursing, epitomized the history of nursing in Alabama. • Her starting salary was $250. 00 per year

Continued… • In 1931 a group of physicians asked for a conference with the Board and made a plea for education for all nurses • Disciplinary matters began to emerge, although there were few cases • 1928—case involving drug addiction • 1932—case involving immoral conduct

1940’s and 1950’s • Name changed to the State Board of Nurse Examiners • The war years were in full swing and had taken a toll on the number of nurses available • A study indicated the need for a second level of practitioner. What had previously been a board of nursing for registered nurses became one for RNs and LPNs. Licensed practical nurses entered the scene in 1946. The first were accepted by waiver.

Continued… • A curriculum was being developed for LPN programs, the first being in Birmingham, Gadsden and Dothan Technical schools • Tuskegee University offered the first baccalaureate degree program in nursing in 1948. • The University of Alabama School of Nursing opened in 1950 under the leadership of Dean Florence Hixson.

1960’s and 1970’s • Physicians were no longer appointed to the board by 1965. • Matters of segregation were addressed. • Graduate LPN’s organized and in 1965 the first LPN was appointed to the Board. Mrs. Mildred Westmoreland attended her first meeting in January of 1966. • Ground broken for the 2 nd baccalaureate program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville

1980’s and 1990’s • Practice emerged as the major focus of the board. • Special focus was placed on continuing competence of nurses. • The enactment of the Administrative Procedures Act in 1982 led to a formalized structure for rulemaking. • Dr. Anne Permaloff, a political science professor at Auburn University-Montgomery, served as the first consumer member of the Board. • There are now 13 members on the Board

Standards of Nursing Practice • Refer to ABN website

Confidentiality • Refer to Standards of Nursing Practice, chapter 610 -X-6 -. 02, Conduct and Accountability

Work Ethic • Defined as “a set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. ” (Wikipedia)

Principles of Health Care Ethics • Autonomy—person is reasonably independent in decision making and practice • Fidelity—agreement or obligation as a nurse to carry out care for a client • Beneficence—to do good, to act in best interest of the client • Nonmaleficence—promotes a continuing effort to consider the potential for harm, even when is may be necessary to promote health. DO NO HARM.

Dilemmas • • • Excess/shortage of personnel Working hours (shifts) Pay scale Job security Unions Image portrayed in the media

Professional Dress • It is very important for a nurse to be dressed professionally • The patient/client should be able to identify you as a nurse • SSCC School of Nursing Dress Code

Adherence to Agency Policy and Procedure • Always know where your agencies policy and procedure manual is kept • P&P manual will cover many areas, such as staffing limits, approved abbreviations and forms, leave, discipline, professional appearance, safety, etc • You are bound to follow the policies and procedures of the employing agency unless they contradict with the limits of your licensure