Siena College Taytay

CHAPTER VI:
College of Nursing PROFESSIONAL GATEKEEPING AS A
FUNCTION OF ROLE FIDELITY

 Professional Code of Ethics

A code of ethics is a set of guidelines which are designed to set out acceptable
behaviors for members of a particular group, association, or profession. It is towards
these ideals that the profession moves.
Common problems associated professional codes are:
Vagueness as to duties and prohibitions
Incompleteness as to duties
Excessive concern with promotion and prestige of profession
Vagueness in regard to self-regulation and peer enforcement
Excessive concern with financial and business interests

 Disparagement of Professional Colleagues

Disparagement- an injury resulting from the comparison of a person or thing with an
individual or thing of inferior quality; to discredit oneself by marriage below one's class.
A statement made by one person that casts aspersions on another person's goods,
property, or intangible things.
Gate keeping- one looks out for the interests of the profession or of other in a similar
practice comes as a result of our professional obligations and training, which lead to
sense of collegiality with others in practice.

 Conflicts of Interest
 To self refer to an establishment where you do not provide service but have an
economic interest is at least suspected and perhaps unethical.
 Each professional will need to evaluate and prioritize to determine the point at
which a service or provided gift ceases to be merely good advertisement, or
continuing education, and begins to be a favor offered to compromise the client-
centered nature of health-care practice.
 A practitioner who changes his way of practice through any motive other than
patient benefit has embarked on slippery slope of compromised ethics.

 Sexual Misconduct in Health Care Practice

Sexual relations between practitioners and patients are unethical wherein the
practitioner–patient relationship places the practitioner in position of advantage inn the
critical areas of knowledge, power, status, and personal vulnerability.

 Scope of Practice
Role Fidelity- requires that we remain our scope within our scope of legitimate
practice.
Impaired Colleagues are providers that are using alcohol and drugs.
Ask these questions to one self before judging BASIC ELEMENTS of a PRACTICE
them: ACT
Do I have all the facts? Practice acts will vary in emphasis but
the majority will address the following
Am I sure? elements:
Who am I going to judge? a. Scope of professional practice
Should I ignore the situation? b. Requirements and qualifications for
licensure
What might cost me if I confront the c. Exemptions
situation? d. Grounds for administrative action

Edge R. and Groves J. R. (1999) Ethics of Health Care: A guide for Clinical Practice. C & E
Publishing Inc.
San Juan Metro Manila. 2nd Edition. pp. 83-97
 Siena College Taytay
CHAPTER VI:
College of Nursing PROFESSIONAL GATEKEEPING AS A
FUNCTION OF ROLE FIDELITY

Is it worth the trouble?

 Whistle Blowing- calling attention to wrongdoing that is occurring within an

organization

 Institutional Ethics Committee- interdisciplinary body of health ethical questions

within the health care institution, especially on care of patients.

Edge R. and Groves J. R. (1999) Ethics of Health Care: A guide for Clinical Practice. C & E
Publishing Inc.
San Juan Metro Manila. 2nd Edition. pp. 83-97