Awareness of professional responsibility in nurses’ opinion

Introduction. A nurse takes on personal and professional responsibility for pursued practice. Knowledge of legitimate normative acts, work
in accordance with ethical- deontological norms, applying required procedures give a safety guarantee for the patient as well as for the
nurse.

Aim of the study. The research aimed at assessment of awareness presented by nurses towards professional responsibility.

Material and methods. The research utilized a customized survey questionnaire. The study was based on opinions of 100 nurses employed
at the Chorzów Center for Pediatrics and Oncology.

Results and conclusions. The most important moral values for the nurses constitute respect for another human being and responsibility.
Over 2/3 of the survey respondents possess awareness of their responsibility and broadening of occupational autonomy. A possibility of
making a medical mistake according to the nurses streams from poor cooperation between doctors and nurses. The knowledge acquired by
the nurses about legitimate acts on different aspects of professional practice is insufficient.
The majority of the surveyed nurses applies in their work nursing procedures, obeys sanitation-epidemiological rules that guarantee their
patients a sense of safety and a high quality of care provided.

Nursing Topics 2010; 18 (2): 105-110