A Profession is a calling requiring specialized knowledge and intensive academic preparations. In nursing, it is the performance, for a fee or a salary, of professional services e.g. responsible nursing care, observation of symptoms, accurate reporting and documentation, supervision of others, execution of nursing procedures, and execution of valid doctor’s orders. There are seven specific characteristics of a professional nurse (mn. AAACCESS):
- Accountability: the nurse is accountable for their actions.
- Autonomy: the nurse is able to think independently and take actions related to patient care within their scope of practice.
- Altruism: the nurse is selfless and services others without regard for compensation or reward.
- Caring Attitude: the nurse puts in diligent efforts to care for any client, sick or well, and regardless of the patient’s economic or social status.
- Competency: the nurse is competent in all of their duties, and continues professional training to keep up with changes in patient care. The nurse should be able to recognize when they are not qualified for their duties and act accordingly.
- R.A. 10912, The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2017 for nursing mandates 15 credit units for professional license renewal, in this case every 3 years. These are obtained from formal learning, non-formal learning, informal learning, self-directed learning, online learning activities, and professional work experience.
- Ethical: the nurse follows the nursing code of ethics and is equipped with the morality of human conduct, values, and standards.
- Service-Oriented: the nurse is dedicated to service, in that they are able to anticipate, recognize, and meet the patients’ needs.
- Specialized: the nursing profession requires a specialized body of knowledge and well-defined skills.
The scope of nursing practice is defined under Section 28, Article VI of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. A person is said to practice nursing when they render nursing services to other individuals or groups from womb to tomb. Nursing services include but are not limited to:
- Provision of care through the nursing process
- Collaborate with communal resources and health teams
- Provide health education
- Take student nurses as apprentices, and
- Undertake nursing and health human resource development, training, and research.