Respect For Patients In Nursing Professionalism

Red Cross Hospital Honours Long-Serving Employees

On 14 July, Jeffrey and 56 other long-serving employees were rewarded for their loyalty at an event held especially in their honour.

Jeffrey is one of three employees who were honoured for working for the Western Cape Department of Health for 40 years. Another awardee was Professional Nurse Martha Brink of Rondebosch.

Martha started her nursing career as a student nurse at Tygerberg Hospital in January 1971. She completed her midwifery training at Frere Hospital in the Eastern Cape where she worked from 1974 until 1975. She then worked at Swartland Hospital from 1976 until 1978 when she moved to Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital. She is currently employed as a specialist paediatric nurse in the cardiac ward.

Martha is a trained midwife. She also has theatre, critical care, trauma and ear, nose and throat nursing training and experience.

The third award recipient, Shirley Adams, started her career as a nursing assistant in 1970. She was promoted to senior nursing assistant in August 1997. She currently works in the burns ward.

Of the 57 people being awarded at the event, 17 people have been working for the Western Cape Department of Health for 30 years, 14 for 20 years and 23 people have been awarded for working at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital specifically for 20 years.

Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital's CEO, Dr Lungi Linda, commended the employees for their loyalty: "As management we feel proud that you have been true public servants and true ambassadors who have served our people selflessly with dignity and humility. We thank you very much for your loyalty, professionalism, high work ethic, commitment and accountability and respect for human dignity. Well done, good and faithful public servants."

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, said: "The lifetime that you have committed to this hospital demonstrates your devotion and love of your caring for children and the community at large. The Western Cape Department of Health is indeed fortunate to have earned your dedication. I know that this work requires the ultimate patience, and you have proved to have stood the test of time.

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Professionals are individuals who through education have achieved a level of competence in their field and abide by the rules, regulations and standards of the industry in the practice of their business.  Beyond this, however, the professional has inner strengths that motivate him/her to give High Quality service to others. This definition applies to the many male and female nurses who provide patient care and emotional support to those who are ill.

Healthcare professionals are both task-oriented and people oriented.  Nurses have a caring nature that sets them apart; you can tell a nurse who puts their patients first because it’s all about the standard of care they give. Outwardly, you will see nursing professionalism coupled with compassion for each person cared for. Underneath nurses have a duty to each patient by the oath they have taken. Although only the caring side of nursing is plain for all to see, nurses still have rules they must follow in order to abide by the professional standards of their careers.  They are conscious that their work is a reflection of their inner character and is a statement of their commitment to excellence in the work place. 

Each person who enters into medicine takes the Hippocratic Oath. This oath states that they will take care of their patients with respect to their ability to do so.  There are very important confidentiality laws that forbid a person from obtaining or using medical records for their benefit or to sway an opinion. HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was a law that was passed in 1996 by Congress giving patients specific rights regarding their medical records and who is able to view them. Nurses are taught about the HIPPA laws because they must be secure with medical records regarding all their patients. HIPPA also covers what patient or client information a healthcare professional may verbally share with others.  This law is deemed so important that penalties for violating patient confidentiality are severe. Professionals have a high level of personal responsibility and respect for others’ rights.

There are other aspects of nursing professionalism that non healthcare people may not think about.  Many nurses who work at hospitals or clinics have to maintain an appearance that is professional. The health care uniform is a symbol of knowledge.  It represents the many hours studying anatomy or meds, the hours spent in clinical practice; the numerous nights spent cramming for tests. It is the physical representation of years of studying and work that went into achieving that precious nursing degree   You can often tell a nurse from another person by their uniform, also known now as nursing scrubs. Some hospitals have color coded uniform scrubs for certain departments but other hospitals allow for freedom of expression when it comes to nursing uniforms. Still maintaining professionalism, nurses may also be allowed to wear colorful uniform scrubs to give themselves a certain style and fashionable look.

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