The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

44 critique will be done in order to discuss how Christians might resist certain ideologies portrayed by genres in the Nursing profession, the consequences of the resistance, and how Christians can make a positive contribution to the field while integrating their faith into their profession. For a Christian in the Nursing profession, the ideology of the discipline in many ways lines up with the beliefs found in the Christian faith and is portrayed through the use of multiple genres found in the field of Nursing. The ideology of the Nursing profession can be summarized in its Code of Ethics, which is established by the ANA (American Nurses Association). A code of ethics is, “A set of guiding principles that all members of a profession accept. It is a collective statement about the group’s expectations and standards of behavior” (Potter and Perry 287). According to the ANA, the ideology of the Nursing profession is defined by the following terms: beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, fidelity, autonomy, advocacy, responsibility, accountability, and confidentiality (286-288). Beneficence is defined as keeping the best interests of the patient more important than self-interests, in other words, doing good to others. Nonmaleficence is the avoidance of harm or hurt, or treating others as you would want to be treated; this is portrayed through the use of Nurse Practice Acts, which are professional nursing guidelines issued by the state. Justice is another term for fairness, such as staying unbiased and treating everyone with equality; nurses show this through their embrace of federal and state legislation regarding health care, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Fidelity refers to keeping promises and following through with plans; this is shown through use of organized Care Plans designed by the nurse that are individual to each patient. Autonomy refers to the patient’s independence, or the right to decide as an individual; this is demonstrated by the use of consent forms that a patient agrees or refuses to sign regarding treatment or medical procedures. Confidentiality includes privacy rights and honesty in conduct; this is portrayed by the use of HIPAA legislation, which gives patients greater access to and control over their medical records. Lastly, advocacy, responsibility, and accountability refer to the professional behavior that all nurses should portray. All of these components of the Nursing ideology share common features with Christian teachings, such as integrity in conduct, doing good