NURSINGCARE 2022

  ICN Launches Revised Code of Ethics for Nurses A revised  Code of Ethics for Nurses  was launched by the International Council of Nurses on International Ethics Day on October 20. The extensively revised Code addresses many of the challenges and ethical dilemmas which were brought to the forefront by the COVID-19  pandemic . This is most evident in the new section on Nurses and Global Health. Purpose of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses Since it was first adopted in 1953 the ICN  Code of Nursing Ethics  has guided nursing practice across the globe. Since then it has been revised regularly in response to changes in nurses’ roles and responsibilities, health care, and society as a whole. The Code is a statement of the professional values, responsibilities, and accountabilities of nurses with the purpose of guiding ethical nursing practice. It serves as a framework for resolving the ethical dilemmas faced by nurses irrespective of their role or the setting i...

  Essential critical care skills 2: assessing the patient A structured, systematic assessment of a patient who is critically ill is fundamental to good patient care, management, and experience. The assessment process must include a comprehensive review of the patient’s physiological, sociological, psychological, and spiritual needs to identify and prioritize problems (Baid et al, 2016). The  airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure (ABCDE) approach  is a well-established, reliable assessment tool used in the systematic assessment of critically ill patients to prioritize and treat life-threatening clinical problems. Information from this should be communicated, escalated, and actioned as appropriate (Baid et al, 2016). Early recognition of a deteriorating patient, together with a structured response and appropriate escalation, can reduce patient harm and the risk of adverse events (Massey et al, 2017). The critical care nurse makes a systematic assessment o...