Hippocratic Oath and Nightingale Pledge

Hippocratic Oath and nightingale pledge are two oaths that any person practicing in the medical profession must take. The pledges are meant to ensure that a person has committed himself before God and before his fellow men to do the right thing and serve those patients that they come across.

The oath requires any doctor to put the interest of the patient first at any time. The nurse commits to serve using the skills obtained from nursing school to ensure that those in need of her/his services are never disappointed. The nurse cannot reveal the personal information regarding a patient that in the course of taking care of her/him he/she has learned. These vows spell out the ethical expectations of a nurse.  A nurse is supposed to be highly secretive and at the same time very open to the patients he/she comes across. The service given to the patient is of extreme importance and so is the confidentiality of the personal information learned about a patient.

The decision making of a nurse must conform to the stipulated standards that are highlighted in the nursing standards. There is no way she/he can leave anything to chance this is due to the effect that might have on the patient. This means that a nurse must take time before making a decision regarding a patient not unless she/he is dealing with a situation that is common and the way out is clear. The information the nurse receives from the patient must be kept private because releasing it will be a breach of ethical conditions and principles that a nurse has vowed to safeguard and abide by. This is because this information might have a negative effect on the patient if it is released to the public.

Nursing is a profession that demands adherence to the ethical conditions that lay down the ethical principles that every nurse must uphold. These principles are not punitive to the nurses but are just a guideline to ensure that the nurse delivers exactly what the patient expected and also check human weaknesses.