Topic 11: Communication and Ethics

One of the key responsibilities of a nurse leader is to maintain the highest ethical standards in the organization and ensure they are adhered to during the decision-making process. Principles of ethical behavior identified in the nurse leader’s role include beneficence, nonmaleficence, respect for individuals, veracity, justice, and fidelity (El-Gazar & Zoromba, 2021). The nurse leader has to consider each of these principles when balancing the needs of patient safety and nurses’ rights during workplace conflict. Ethical behavior is an integral part of a nurse leader since the leader is expected to model and support ethical performance.

On top of that, the nurse leader is expected to be sensitive to moral issues and improve nurses’ work performance by fostering respect for human dignity in nursing care. Nurse leaders increase nurses’ capacity to discuss and implement the ethical principle in daily nursing activities, supporting nurses’ ethical competence (El-Gazar & Zoromba, 2021). Furthermore, ethics is a vital component of leadership qualifications. An ethical nurse leader can help create an ethical atmosphere in the workplace, offer guidance on ethics, and ensure nurses’ occupational satisfaction by prioritizing moralities.

Provision 6 of the ANA Code of Ethics states that: “The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.” The characteristics of a nurse leader role model can be communicated with this provision by evaluating the interventions that the leader implements to promote an ethical environment in the workplace (Varkey, 2021). Besides, one can communicate a role model’s characteristics by demonstrating virtues that surpass what is expected of everyone, including wisdom, honesty, knowledge, skill, compassion, patience, selflessness, and courage. The nurse leader should take pride in having these virtues and strive to create and maintain morally good environments (Varkey, 2021). Furthermore, the nurse leader should turn these virtues into action by implementing what is right for their patients and the workplace.

Ethics significantly influence the nurse leader’s leadership style. Ethically fit nurse leaders with the ethical control to do what is right when facing barriers, obstacles, and limited power and who demonstrate ethical behavior regardless of personal and professional risk, are respected, celebrated, and followed (Barkhordari-Sharifabad et al., 2018). Besides, nurse leaders who learn and apply the code of ethics in clinical practice may better influence the moral decisions of those with authority to make decisions.

References

Barkhordari-Sharifabad, M., Ashktorab, T., & Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, F. (2018). Obstacles and problems of ethical leadership from the perspective of nursing leaders: a qualitative content analysis. Journal of medical ethics and history of medicine, 10, 1.

El-Gazar, H. E., & Zoromba, M. A. (2021). Ethical Leadership, Flourishing, and Extra-Role Behavior Am

ong Nurses. SAGE Open Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608211062669

Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of Clinical Ethics and Their Application to Practice. Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre, 30(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119

Grid View

	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor
Main Posting	45 (45%) – 50 (50%) Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. Supported by at least three current, credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	40 (40%) – 44 (44%) Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	35 (35%) – 39 (39%) Responds to some of the discussion question(s). One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Post is cited with two credible sources. Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors.	0 (0%) – 34 (34%) Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately. Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible sources. Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness	10 (10%) – 10 (10%) Posts main post by day 3.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not post by day 3.
First Response	17 (17%) – 18 (18%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	15 (15%) – 16 (16%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	13 (13%) – 14 (14%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 12 (12%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Second Response	16 (16%) – 17 (17%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	14 (14%) – 15 (15%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	12 (12%) – 13 (13%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 11 (11%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Participation	5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100