Free Essay On Advanced Nursing Practice 2

The report chosen for discussion is titled “Review of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Smallpox Vaccination Program Implementation.” The report addresses three aspects: integration of Smallpox preparedness in the overall public health preparedness, vaccination of general public members who insist on receiving the vaccination, some aspects of implementation of Smallpox vaccination program.
The Committee on Disease Control offers five important elements concerning Smallpox vaccination in this report. First, Smallpox is just one of the threats to the health of the public, and there are other tools apart from vaccination that can be used in the preparation for any eventuality of Smallpox. Secondly, the committee notes that it is important to have a clear plan that public health providers can train and exercise to in order to be well prepared in case of any cases of Smallpox emerging. The third message contained in the report is that vaccination of general public members should proceed under the guidance of clinical research trials of the smallpox vaccine or other clinical arrangements that are well-structured and that meet the espoused basic requirements of public health and medical ethics (Institute of Medicine, 2003). Fourthly, the CDC has the responsibility of ensuring the program is implemented in a safe manner. The final message is that, a research agenda for smallpox vaccination program should be developed to ensure the success of the smallpox preparedness for the long haul. Moreover, the research agenda will be crucial for the provision of important information to be used in preparedness of public health facilities.
On the ethics issue, the report indicates that public health programs cannot just proceed by being based on requests for a vaccine or medication by individuals. Similarly, the same holds for prescription medications or immunizations that are given by those who provide health care (Thomas et al, 2002). The ethical position is that immunizations are only given when the risk to a patient or the entire population is deemed to outweigh the benefits that will accrue by withholding it. The report represents the stick-ability of public health experts to the code of ethics that guide their work.
This work has far reaching implications on the advanced practice nurse. The third provision in the ANA Code of Ethics states that “the nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient,” (ANA, 2011). The report ascertains that administration of the smallpox vaccine to the general public should proceed under the guidance of clinical research trials of the smallpox vaccine or other clinical arrangements that are well-structured and meet the espoused basic requirements of public health and medical ethics. This will be crucial in ensuring the safety and health of the general public. Ensuring the safety and health of patients is one of the important provisions in the ANA code of ethics (ANA, 2011). Essentially, this report sets the stage for the safety and health of patients or the general public to be the paramount think before issuance of any immunizations by the nurses. It suggests conducting of clinical trials to ascertain whether the general public has been exposed smallpox before they can seek out for vaccination. Prior to this, it will against the nurses’ code of the ethics to administer this vaccine because there is likelihood that it can pose health and safety problems if given blindly.
The fifth provision of the nursing code of ethics strikes a cord with the message in the report. The provision says, “the nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth,” (ANA, 2011). Preservation of the safety of the general public while administering the smallpox vaccine is the underlying message in the report.

References

American Nurses Association. (2011). Code of Ethics. Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.nursingworld.org/Mobile/Code-of-Ethics
Thomas, J. C., Sage, M., Dillenberg, J., & Guillory, V. J. (2002). A code of ethics for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 92(7), 1057-1059.