What is the expected standard of care in nursing practice?

The expected standard of care in nursing practice is centered around providing competent, safe, and ethical care. This means that nurses are expected to possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care effectively. Competent care ensures that nurses are up-to-date with current medical practices and guidelines, while safe care indicates the importance of preventing harm to patients. Ethical care emphasizes the importance of making decisions that respect the dignity and rights of patients, adhering to ethical principles such as beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice.

In this context, the focus is on a holistic approach to patient care that integrates clinical judgment and adherence to professional standards, thereby fostering a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. This standard of care is essential to achieving positive patient outcomes and maintaining professional integrity in nursing practice.