Answers page - Test your knowledge: New codes of conduct

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia released the new Code of conduct for nurses and Code of conduct for midwives on 1 March 2018. 

With annual registration for nurses and midwifes due by 31 March, the Nursing and Midwifery Council thought this would be a good time for nurses and midwifes to test their code knowledge!

The test was published in the NMC 's May 2018 newsletter. Below are the answers!

 

1. The Codes of conduct describe the behaviour expected of nurses and midwives in clinical practice

FALSE The code is written in recognition that nursing practice is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. Nursing/ midwifery  practice settings extend to working in a non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, leadership, governance, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory, policy development roles or other roles that impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession and/or use of the practitioner’s professional skills.

 

2. The four main domains described in the Code of conduct are;

  • Practice legally
  • Practice safely, effectively and collaboratively
  • Act with professional integrity
  • Promote health and wellbeing 

TRUE The code is structured within four easy to remember domains. Refer to page 5 of the codes which provide a summary of the domains and the key principals within the Codes of Conduct.

 

3. The legal obligations for all registered nurses and midwives in NSW can be found in sections 128, 129, 130, 131 and 141 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a.

TRUE If you click on the above link it will take you to the National Law as it applies in NSW. The left hand side summarises the sections of the law. Scroll down to the relevant sections and open by clicking on the section of the law you want to read.

Section 128 - continuing professional development

Section 129 - professional indemnity insurance arrangements

Section 130 - registered health practitioner or student to give national Board notice of certain events

Section 131 - change of principal place of practice address or name

Section 141 - mandatory notifications by health practitioners

 

4. The codes describe when it is acceptable for a practitioner to receive an expensive gift from a person or woman who wants to thank them for their care. 

FALSE Refer to element ‘financial arrangements and gifts’, 4.5b in the codes.

 

5. The codes require nurses and midwives to act to reduce the effect of fatigue and stress on their health and their ability to provide safe practice. 

TRUE Principle 7 relates to Health and Wellbeing, one of the elements of which is about nurses’ and midwives’ responsibility to maintain their physical and mental health to practise safely and effectively – refer to 7.1 a – e of the code.

 

6. The codes state that all nurses and midwives must document and report concerns if they believe the practice environment is compromising the health and safety of people/ women receiving care. 

TRUE Refer to element 'nursing/midwifery practice', 2.1c in the codes.

 

7. The codes state it is the responsibility of managers to create opportunities for students or nurses and midwives under supervision to learn. 

FALSE It is the responsibility of all nurses and midwives to create opportunities for students and practitioners under supervision to learn, as well as benefit from oversight and feedback.

Refer to element ‘teaching and supervising’, 5.1 of the codes.

 

8. There are 10 principles described in the Code of conduct. 

FALSE There are seven principles these are:

  1. Legal compliance
  2. Person/ women centred practice
  3. Cultural practice and respectful relationships
  4. Professional behaviour
  5. Teaching, supervising and assessing
  6. Research in health
  7. Health and wellbeing

 

9. The codes specify that nurses and midwives must not transmit, share, reproduce or post any person’s or woman’s information or images, even if the person is not directly named or identified, without having first gained written and informed consent. 

TRUE Refer to element ‘confidentiality and privacy’, 3.5e in the codes

 

10. One of the elements of the codes is ‘advertising and professional representation’ which states that nurses and midwives must be honest and transparent when describing their education, qualifications, previous occupations and registration status. 

TRUE Refer to element ‘Advertising and professional representation’, 4.2 in the codes

 

11. Cultural safety requires nurses and midwives to reflect on their professional impact upon the cultures and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

TRUE Refer to element ‘Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health 3.1 and ‘Culturally safe and respectful practice’ 3.2 and in the codes

 

If any of your answers are incorrect, it is important to review the relevant Code of conduct.