ESSENTIAL VIII

e-Portfolio Essential VIII: Professionalism and professional values

Laura Ellis
Frostburg State University

ESSENTIAL VIII

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing provides specific qualifications for

nurses seeking a bachelors level competency in nursing practice. The AACN has nine essential
requirements of a professional nurse including number nine; Baccalaureate Generalist Nursing
Practice. The focus of Essential VIII is that baccalaureate nurses are able to understand the
historical, legal, and contemporary context of nursing practice (2008, p. 26). Baccalaureate
prepared nurses are able to understand and integrate legal and ethical matters and apply them to
their daily practice.
Exemplar
The selected exemplar demonstrates the ability to examine a current ethical issue form a
legal and ethical lens, assess personal ethical standings, and argue for how the issue should
proceed. This exemplar analyzes the issue of physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted
suicide is an issue that has both legal and ethical elements and is deeply controversial in the
medical community. This exemplar is reflective of what the AACN states is a baccalaureate
prepared nurse who exhibits professional value.
Reflection
The AACN seeks to have nurses who demonstrate altruism, autonomy, human dignity,
integrity, and social justice. In order to be able to demonstrate such traits, baccalaureate prepared
nurses are expected to find, evaluate, and analyze legal and ethical dilemmas in the medical field.
It is not possible for nurses to appropriately approach new ethical dilemmas in practice if they
have not taken the time to evaluate their own personal ethics and bias. The assignment through
the ethics class in Frostburgs nursing program, requests that students not only select a current
issue but also complete a self-assessment of ones ethics and values. A baccalaureate prepared
nurse is able to analyze ethical situations and apply the nursing code of ethics to make decisions

ESSENTIAL VIII

about patient care. Professional nursing requires a balance between evidence-based knowledge,
skills, and attitudes and professional confidence, maturity, caring, and compassion (2008, p.
27). A well-rounded nurse is one who is able to combine these elements along with their
education and continue to provide the highest level of care.

ESSENTIAL VIII

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Reference

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate

education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved (November 5, 2016) from
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/BaccEssentials08.pdf