ESSENTIAL VIII 1

AACN Essential VIII

Frostburg State University
Tiebe Michael Green
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Professionalism and Professional Values

For nurses caring for patients includes both direct and indirect care, which includes

individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. Nursing is based on knowledge,

theory, research and evidence which allows nurses to have certain type of values that allow them

to make ethical decisions. In addition, nurse roles demand knowledge from a wide array of other

fields and professions, adapting and applying this knowledge as appropriate to professional

practice. Out of the nine essentials in AANC Essential VIII: Professionalism and Professional

Values. Professionalism and the inherent values of altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity,

and social justice are fundamental to the discipline of nursing. Essential VIII discusses what

professionalism means in nursing, it incorporates that patients and families have to be treated

with respect and they must have full autonomy to their health decisions. This essential regards

the need for keeping human dignity as being valued as who the person is and feel judgment or

discrimination due to who or what the patient is. As professional, nurses have to be open minded

and be able to keep their integrity by making sure that they provide adequate and safe patient

care that is nurturing and dependable.

As discussed on Essential VIII people want to be shown human dignity, they want a

system that cares about them enough to make sure that they feel safe. Patients want to be treated

with dignity no matter their choices in life and what they might be facing in the community.

When patients come to the health care system they should be allowed to be who they are without

any prejudice. In the hot topic assignment, the main topic that was covered was regarding minors

making permanent surgery in order to change their identity to the gender of choice. This topic is

what has been debated upon in many states in the US. Some of the European countries have done
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the research and supportive evidence supported that children as young as 14 and 16 are having to

go through this surgery due to many reasons. The debate is whether the children are safe in the

future having to take medication for life. Ethically it can be viewed in two ways. One is the fact

that many transgender children get bullied and mistreated by their peers and the society that

children are hurting being withdrawn and even commit suicide. According to the New York

times one in every 137 teenagers would identify as transgender according to the analysis of the

state and federal data. The report shows estimated 149,750 transgender teenagers live nationwide

accounting for 0.7 percent of the population ages 13 to 17 (Chokshi,2017). This number shows

the need to focus on these teenagers and make sure that they are protected as humans. As the

Essential VIII shows no matter the situation keeping the autonomy of the patient and keeping the

nurses professional integrity is important in relating with any issue that has to do with ethics. The

ethical dilemma of allowing a child to undergo such surgery makes one question the ethical view

and their own professional judgement. The hot topics paper was to show the need to protect the

youth, no matter their choices of gender or identification. It has been an ongoing discussion that

grows and expands as the generation changes and people become more free to express who they

are and what they believe in. The generational change also brings more freedom for people to

express and choose their own identity (Chokshi, 2017). The perception of society has evolved to

accept these changes as gay marriage which currently have opened doors for discussion

regarding transgender people. Transgender people are people who have a gender identity or

gender expression that differs from their assigned gender from birth. Transgender people are

sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to

another. Transgender people may identify as male or female, or they may feel that neither label

fits them. For most people gender is something that comes automatically as they identify
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themselves as who they were from birth and it is not something that crosses most people mind to

be bothered about their own gender. But, for a transgender person knowing and feeling ones

gender go hand in hand. For transgender person it is choosing that one is a boy or a girl which

doesnt always fit society rules that states boys are boys and girls are girls. Gender identity and

transgender are different from sexual identity and lesbian, gay and bisexual. Sexual identity is

about who you are attracted to; gender identity is about how you identify as male or female.

According to 2011 report from National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay

and Lesbian Task Force, 132 Maryland teens who expressed transgender identity or gender non

conformity reported harassment, physical assault and sexual violence(MdpubSchools.org).

Rather than focusing on their education many of transgender teens and gender non-conforming

teens struggle with the ability to concentrate in school and themselves. According to the National

Center for Transgender Equality fifty-nine percent of transgender teens were denied access to

restrooms consistent with their gender, some even get denied opportunities on field trips or

participate in sports (Trottar,2016). As the society is marching against bullying these type of

conflicts will only support the disproportionate discipline and show full support to bullying.

Transgender people are also humans that have chosen to express themselves as they are. The

discussion is in support of the same rights that were given to the LGBT group to be given to the

transgender community as well. Rather than focusing on the change that transgender person is

making focus should be given to the safety and healthy changes of the person.

Equality and Rationality is chosen to hold as a position-statement on the hot topic of

transgender Children, and the decision to allow them to make medical treatments that could

change their gender that they are born with by allowing them to identify as they choose. Even

though they are children and there are many that argue that this permanent change, Essential VIII
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shows that professionalism in nursing consist of the inherent values of altruism. The ethical view

point of equality prioritizes the value of sameness over autonomy (ethicalgame.com). Essential

VIII portrays the ethical views with the primary concern of the well-being of the whole

community and the believe that equality should be for all in nursing and healthcare. This idea

assures that the community's well-being is the best way to keep in mind and the focus is to make

sure that all individuals are treated fairly. Essential VIII prioritizes the value of professionalism,

rationality and sensibility. The believe of universal rules exist that apply equally to everyone and

that the best results are achieved through consistent application of the universal rules. These

universal rules are what keep us in peace as humans. The universal rules are respecting one

another, showing love to each other, treating each other in equality, understanding of our

differences and accepting each-others choices, along with knowing our own borders. Many

people say that they believe in equality but fail to realize their own limitation on equality. When

discussing autonomy, equality for some people it is for everyone except for LGTB community or

the Transgender community (Trotta,2016). How society considers right or wrong is based on

different believes that bring about different ethical views. One has to understand when discussing

matters that are important to children that there is a person making this decision or having to live

feeling uncomfortable in their own body. Once the society understands that in order to feel

complete as humans there is a need of comfort in life that people have to reach in order to feel

safe and feel productive. Everyone wants to feel like they matter in this world if a person

decides to make gender change and become happier people have to understand and give the

person autonomy to make do with choosing what is fair even though personally that person is

against the idea (Trotta,2016). In this case even though many might say that transgender children

are just kids and should not be allowed to go through any kind of surgery or permanent change
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knowing what equality means will only force one to lean towards social balance. According to

the ELI ethical game the classical virtue of justice was portrayed as having importance, essential

VIII also portrayed that the value social balance and believe this is achieved through values of

altruism which are loyalty and consistency in dealings among members of the community to

show integrity (Pozgar,2016). It also portrayed that in my mind, a predictable system that assures

the well-being of all, especially those without power, is a just system. As I agreed with this

statement I could only think of the transgender community let alone the transgender children that

have no voice in this society, I feel bad that we as society have not reached that place of

understanding. Understanding that regardless of ones personal choice in life that might go along

with societys norm or that does not go along societys norm it has to be viewed in the eyes of

the affected. If people tend to practice the old saying that you dont feel the pain until you are in

that body fits the reasons behind this matter is of importance (Trotta,2016). Even though

personally I believe that children are still growing and changing every time and what once we

thought as children were the best things in life are no longer viewed as the best thing in life in

adulthood. But I still believe in universal fairness.

All in all, Essential VIII discusses how professional nursing roles are to portray respect

and provide non-judgmental care. The hot topic which discussed about transgender children

getting permanent surgery to change their identity. As a professional nurse one must possess all

the Essential VIII values as dealing with this topic can make one really do deep search to see

where the person stands ethically.

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Reference:

Pozgar, G.D. (2016). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals (4 th ed..). Sudbury, MA:
Jones and Bartlett.

Fowler, M. (2015). Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses with interpretive statements,
development, interpretation and application (2ed.). Washington, DC.: Nursebooks.org.

Spack, N. P., Edwards-Leeper, L., Feldman, H. A., Leibowitz, S., Mandel, F., Diamond, D. A.,
& Vance, S. R. (2012). Children and adolescents with gender identity disorder referred to a
pediatric medical center. Pediatrics, peds-2011.

https://www.ethicsgame.com/exec/site/eli.html

https://www.MarylandpubSchools.org/