Nursing Professional Responsibilities and Grooming

Professional Nurse Responsibilities

• Nurses demonstrate intelligence, good judgment, and handle emergencies capably.
• Nurses are responsible in professional and social settings.

Personal Grooming for Nurses

• A nurse's uniform should not be too tight or loose to allow for free movement during emergencies.
• The uniform must be clean to prevent cross-infection and well-pressed.
• The dress or skirt should be below the knee to allow for bending.
• The uniform material should not be see-through.
• Uniform maintenance is crucial: replace fallen buttons, torn zippers, mend rips and tears, and remove stains.
• Hair is a source or microorganisms, so female nurses should tie back long hair neatly.
• Male nurses should keep their beards trimmed.
• Shoes should be low-heeled and soft to avoid disturbing patients.
• Nurses should maintain daily care of shoes and socks.
• Nails should be trimmed, and colored nail polish should be avoided.
• Nurses should wear an identification tag displaying their full name and qualifications at all times.

Historical Background of Nursing in Kenya

• Traditionally, sick people received care from female family members at home.
• This approach is known as "family nursing."
• Florence Nightingale is considered the founder of professional nursing. She initiated formal nursing training using a curriculum, replacing apprenticeships.
• Western medicine was introduced to Kenya with the arrival of missionaries in 1895.
• They brought doctors and nurses from Britain and Europe, who trained local dressers and assistants.
• Basic training started in missionary hospitals.
• In 1949, a Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors' Council was formed.
• Formal nursing training at enrolled and registered levels began in 1950.
• The focus shifted from task-oriented care to individualized nursing care in the 1980s.
• This led to the introduction of the nursing process, providing a systematic method for individualized care.
• Nursing models progressed from patient allocation to team nursing and then primary nursing.

Nursing Process

• The nursing process was introduced in the 1970s.
• It is comprised of assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating.
• These elements are embedded in everyday nursing practice, whether organized by patient allocation, team nursing, or primary nursing.

Nursing Models of Care

• Nursing Model: A scientifically based, logically related set of concepts for nursing practice. It includes theoretical bases and values for use by practitioners.
• Primary Nursing (or Total Patient Care): One nurse (the primary nurse) assumes responsibility for a particular patient for the entire duration of their stay. This responsibility includes delegation during periods of absence.
• Team or Functional Nursing Care: A model using the nurse as a team leader.
• Total Patient Care: Each nurse is assigned a small number of patients (up to six) to look after during a whole shift.

International Council of Nurses (ICN)

• Values: Encourages visionary leadership, inclusiveness, flexibility, and partnership among member states. Aiming for excellence in nursing/midwifery education and practice.
• Vision: Unite all nurses to advocate for better healthcare, recognizing the human right to preventative and curative care. Leading health care progress and shaping policy globally by enhancing nurses' expertise, strength, and numbers.
• Mission: Lead societies toward better health through promoting healthy lifestyles, workplaces, and communities. Supporting poverty and pollution alleviation, while incorporating science and technology for compassionate and ethical care. Shaping nursing education based on values, policies, standards, and conditions that empower nurses to practice to their full potential.
• Philosophy: Commitment to caring, patient advocacy, and empowering individuals. Ensure the nursing profession is highly valued, utilized, recognized, rewarded, and represented in healthcare.

Nursing Council of Kenya

• Comprised of experienced nurses from general nursing, midwifery, community health nursing, mental health and psychiatric nursing, a legal advisor, and a representative of the Chief Nursing Officer.
• The registrar serves as the secretary to the council.

Nursing Council Secretariat

• Coordinates all activities of the Nursing Council, undertaking day-to-day operations.

• Composed of council officers and staff.

• Council Officers: The registrar, education officers, examination officers, registration officers, and standards and ethics officers, are Ministry of Health employees deployed to the council. They coordinate Standing Committees and Subcommittees.

• Council Staff: Includes the accountant, accounts assistant, secretaries, copy typists, records clerk, driver, and supportive staff employed by the council.

Nursing Council Elections

• Conducted every three years.
• All registered nurses are eligible to vie for representation of various disciplines.

Legal Aspects of Nursing in Kenya

• Nurses are subject to national laws and professional ethics.
• Nurses are accountable to the Nursing Council and the Disciplinary Committee.

Examples of Offences

• Negligence: Failure to provide expected care to a patient or client within the scope of their training.
• Misconduct: Improper behavior or deliberate violation of standards.
• Malpractice: Providing substandard care to patients.
• Impropriety: Professional misconduct, such as fighting in public or demonstrating unprofessional behavior, which discredits the nursing profession.

Legal Acts Related to Nursing Practice

• Public Health Act (Cap 242): Outlines healthcare delivery services in Kenya.

• Pharmacy and Poisons Act (Cap 244): Regulates drug prescription and administration.

• Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act (Cap 253): Relevant for nurses diagnosing and treating minor ailments.

• Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 1994: Governs the use and management of dangerous drugs.

• Mental Health Act (Cap 248): Relates to mental health and psychiatric nursing.

• Other Laws:

  • Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Act (1999): Applies to the handling of body specimens.
  • Clinical Medicine Act: Relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of minor ailments.
  • Food, Drugs and Chemicals Act: Addresses nutritional status and food handling in hospitals.
  • Children and Young Persons Act: Ensures children's rights and protections, particularly in healthcare settings.