It is expected that these standards, which licensed nurses are required to observe, should also be disseminated in schools of nursing and midwifery and emphasized to all practicing nurses and midwives. This strategy is important in order to create a shared understanding across the profession regarding the expected standards of professional conduct.

• Guide the professionals so as to attain acceptable standards expected of them when discharging their responsibilities.
• Guide the professionals in the ever changing world of education, practice, research, leadership and management and the need for them to adopt and acquaint themselves with the change for the betterment of the delivery of health care.
• Enable nurses and midwives to make decisions on patient care approaches and values within the complex health care delivery system and environment in which the nurse/midwife practices.

As a nurse or midwife licensed to practice by TNMC, you are personally accountable for your practice, when caring for patients and clients you must adhere to the following guiding principles:

RESPECT FOR HUMANKIND AND THE PATIENT/CLIENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL

All patients and clients have a right to receive information about their condition. Nurse must be sensitive to their needs and respect the wishes of those who refuse or are unable to receive information about their condition. Information should be accurate, truthful and presented in such a way as to make it easily understood. She may need to seek legal or professional advice or guidance from employer, in relation to the giving or withholding of consent. She must respect patients’ and clients’ autonomy – their right to decide whether or not to undergo any health care intervention – even where a refusal may result in harm, unless a court of law orders to the contrary.

Nurse and midwife must strive at all times to achieve and maintain high professional standards in providing quality care. In doing so she shall: demonstrate high level of competence in her practice, acknowledge the limits of professional competence and only practice. Also person of her status even when faced with an emergency situation.

The nurse and midwife is responsible for maintaining professional standards for quality care and be accountable for her actions. Therefore she shall observe the the responsibility of providing quality service in conscientious, diligent and efficient manner,obliged and expected to handle nursing and midwifery matters without undue delay, risk or unnecessary expense to the employer, client/patient,accountability for her actions or omissions through formal lines of authority and responsibility, respecting and complying with rules and regulations in a manner that promote public confidence, the integrity of nursing and midwifery services and profession, desist from conduct capable of drawing an impression of being involved in corruption,in case of delegation, delegate the nursing work with close supervision,as a manager, she has a duty towards patient, colleagues, community and her organization in which she works. And when facing professional dilemma, her first consideration in all circumstances must be the interest and safety of patients and clients,maintain personal hygiene, good nutrition and dress in acceptable manner in accordance with acceptable nursing and midwifery practice,

Every nurse and midwife has a duty to behave in a way that uphold good reputation of the profession, avoid using your registration status in the promotion of commercial product or service. not solicit, force or accept bribes from client/patient or family and relatives for any reasons, Must refuse any gift, favour or hospitality that might be interpreted, now or in the future, as attempt to obtain preferential consideration, use official time in a honest way to fulfill professional responsibility, be fair in distributing resource sat all times, to tell the truth and be loyal and avoid deception in whatever form,

Every nurse and midwife, when discharging her duties of providing services has a duty to work as a team which includes client/patient, client’s family and other health professionals in the health care delivery system, share her knowledge and skills and respect others views for the benefit of clients/patients, give due weight and consideration to official views and respecting colleagues, including their right to privacy especially when handling personal information,give credit to colleagues with outstanding performance and should not seek personal credit at their expenses, should act appropriately to protect patient and client from risks if she believes that her colleague is not fit to practice for reasons of misconduct, ill-health or incompetence, and at all times behave herself in such a manner that maintains the good reputation of the profession. She should not involve herself in drug or alcohol abuse.