MyCLPNA
Professional Responsibility and Accountability Series: Professionalism
In 2025, the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) will share information on topics related to professional responsibility and accountability. This month’s topic is professionalism.
Professionalism relates to the behaviour, skills, and qualities that an LPN is expected to demonstrate. It involves LPNs using the nursing knowledge that they gain through education, training, and experience to guide their practice. It involves applying critical thinking and clinical judgement as part of evidence-informed decision making.
Professionalism also involves communicating effectively, honestly, and respectfully. This includes working collaboratively with the healthcare team and using appropriate documentation.
Example: Post-Fall Assessment
An LPN was present when a client fell. Before the client was safely back in bed, the LPN went to answer a call bell in another room. They delegated the post-fall assessment to the HCA who was also present.
Later, the LPN documents the incident. They indicate that they performed the assessment themselves, but they provide only vague details on the injuries. This results in insufficient follow-up for the client and inaccurate information being shared with the healthcare team.
In the above example, the LPN failed to demonstrate professionalism in a few ways.
In all situations, LPNs are responsible for using their critical thinking and clinical judgement. When falls occur, LPNs need to prioritize completing a post-fall assessment in accordance with employer requirements. Performing assessments is not within Health Care Aide scope of practice. Therefore, the LPN needed to complete the assessment themselves. They could have instead assigned the Health Care Aide to answer the call bell.
The LPN also provided false documentation by recording the post-fall assessment as though they had completed it. This dishonesty is a clear breach of ethics and professionalism. The LPN’s actions also go against expectations established in standards of practice, which state that LPNs have a responsibility to only document the care that they provide.
In this incident, the LPN displayed a clear lack of accountability and integrity. When errors happen, they need to be communicated quickly. By covering up their mistake, the LPN may have negatively impacted the care their client received.
