Nurses on several medical occasions face incompetence from their fellow peers, which often results in struggles to speak up or stay silent at that particular time. At this point, the fidelity and nonmaleficence principles are considered.
There may be competing suggestions like covering up for staff members and at the same time protecting the patient. The nurse should think creatively in such a situation to maintain a high standard of patient surety and safety and maintain the staff’s level of certainty about medical issues. At this point, the nurse should think of all the available actions to be taken, which is the creative way, unlike basing their verbal communication on one answer or obligation.
Medicine includes a tradition that has been long used, and that is self-regulation. The nurses are subjected to an enduring commitment to safeguarding the trust of the public and the patient’s welfare. The devoir to reporting any unethical behavior or incompetence by colleagues which may put the health or wellbeing of the patients at risk has been recognized both in law and in the ethical standards of the nursing profession, and nurses should report any of such incompetent behaviors without fear of favor of loss.
Lack of competence often involves professional standards that are relatively low based on the nurses’ performance. Therefore, the nurse should verbalize any incompetence amongst his fellow staff members. Having to report a college that has engaged in any form of incompetence not only protects the patient welfare but also acts as a way of ensuring the colleagues are given help and provided with appropriate assistance from the health care programs, thus enabling them to practice both ethically and safely.
In conclusion, suspicion of incompetence by fellow staff members occurs more often amongst the nursing staff. However, most of the members of the nursing staff find it difficult to report such incompetence. Therefore, the professional associations should eliminate the barriers that may be present when the nursing staff tries to raise the incompetence issue. Therefore, when the nurse experiences incompetence, they should not keep silent because that would put the patient at risk and reduce the trust gained from the public.
