Statement of
Professional Accountability

The nursing faculty at Butler Community College believes that nurse educators within a community college setting must assume responsibility for acting in an accountable manner in the following areas:

1. Accountability toward the patients, in order that:
   
   • the patients' health care needs are adequately met in a caring, humane manner by students under the educator's supervision
   • the patients' rights are not violated and indeed are protected by the students responsible for their nursing care
   • the patient will have reasonable assurance that his health care needs will be adequately met by the Butler nursing graduate with whom the patient is entrusting his physical and psychological well-being
   • the patient will have reasonable assurance that his rights will be adequately safeguarded by the Butler nursing graduate with whom the patient is entrusting his care.
2. Accountability toward the profession of nursing, in that:
   
   • we, as members of the profession of nursing, assume responsibility for our own continued development within the knowledge and practice components of the nurse educator role
   • our students will be provided a program of study that adequately supplies the nursing knowledge, attitudes, and skills that will stand them in good stead as competent members within the profession of nursing
   • we, as professionals charged with the responsibility for induction of new members into the profession of nursing, have reasonable assurance that our graduates will demonstrate accountable nursing behaviors that will fulfill the established standards of practice for the nursing profession
     • demonstrate an adequate base of nursing knowledge
     • demonstrate adequate problem-solving abilities to effectively apply evidence-based practice
     • demonstrate adequate performance of nursing skills
     • demonstrate adequate interpersonal skills to effectively work and cooperate with a multidisciplinary health team for the well-being of the patients under their care and responsibility
     • demonstrate adequate knowledge and skill to practice in a safe manner that will not jeopardize the patient's safety or unknowingly place them in greater physical or psychological risk
     • demonstrate adequate knowledge, self-awareness and a sense of professional values to allow them to appropriately monitor their own behaviors in situations where they may not be directly supervised by others and are responsible for the well-being of patients under their care
     • demonstrate an adequate sense of accountability toward their colleagues within the health care team in order to assure the provision of quality health care
   • we, as professionals charged with the responsibility for induction of new members into the profession of nursing, when reasonable assurance is not possible in the performance of the student in the above areas, will not support the progression of the student within the program of study in nursing.
3. Accountability toward the students within our program of study in nursing, (Due Process) in that
   
   • the students will be provided a program of study in nursing that adequately supplies the nursing knowledge, attitudes, and skills that will stand them in good stead as competent members within the profession of nursing
   • the students will be given adequate opportunities to perform nursing skills under the supervision of a qualified nurse educator who will give direction to their learning experiences and provide an appropriate role model
   • the students will receive realistic and sufficient feedback from the nurse educator supervising their performance in order to assist them in recognizing and evaluating their own development toward becoming a member within the profession of nursing
   • the students will receive appropriate feedback regarding any deficits in their performance of nursing behaviors that prevent their successful completion of program objectives and whenever possible, will receive counseling regarding other career opportunities which more realistically fit their capabilities.
4. Accountability toward the college, in that:
   
   • the nurse educator will contribute in a responsible manner toward the planning and implementation of a program of study in nursing that is responsive to the needs of the community, the learning needs of the students, the parameters of the community college setting and the expectations of accrediting agencies
   • the nurse educator will not knowingly contribute to or support situations that impede, disrupt or jeopardize the learning experiences of the students within the program of study, and that he/she will not be unnecessarily reluctant to take appropriate action to prevent or alleviate such situations
   • only those students who have adequately demonstrated nursing behaviors that meet the educational objectives of the program of study in nursing provided by the college, and who are capable of performing accountably within the parameters of the level of nursing practice for which the degree is to be granted, will progress in the nursing program.
5. Accountability toward the community, in order that:
   
   • educational opportunities in the study of nursing will be provided for those individuals within the community who are capable of benefiting from them
   • graduates of the program of study in nursing will be adequately able to meet the health care needs within the community in an accountable, competent manner
   • the health care agencies within the community will have reasonable assurance that their nursing employees who are graduates of this accredited program of study in nursing will be capable of competently performing appropriate nursing roles with reasonable independence and sound judgment.
6. Accountability from a personal perspective, in that:
   
   • the nurse educator will participate in the planning, implementation, and administration of a program of study in nursing that graduates nurses that contribute to a sense of community pride, both within our college community and the geographical community we serve.

Developed by: Janiece Olson
Spring 1982
Revised 2/89; 2/90; 6/92; 5/00; 5/01, 3/11

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Last Updated: April 6, 2011