Responsibility means: "being responsible for one's actions". The American Nursing Association (ANA) states in its code that the nurse will assume responsibility for individual nursing judgments and actions. Professional nurses are accountable in several areas, including accountability to the public, client, profession, employer, and themselves (Hood, 2010, p. 307). All professional nurses have a responsibility to work within their scope of practice to provide the best possible care to patients. Nurses should have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities in specific areas of practice. The level of responsibility and accountability depends on professional levels. A nursing supervisor has more responsibilities than a head nurse. A registered nurse (RN) is less responsible than a head nurse because he or she is able to manage the entire unit and also works as a resource person for the nurses on his or her unit. The job functions of the Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) are monitored and supervised by RNs, therefore the responsibilities and obligations of the RN are higher than those of an LPN. A professional nurse is responsible for the following when implementing changes in evidence-based practice: To the profession: Professional responsibility enables nurses to work in a clinical practice setting and follow principles of conduct that maintain patient trust in the individual nurse. These in turn will support the nursing profession as a whole (Caulfield, 2005, p. 4). Nurses are responsible and accountable for their own actions and those of their colleagues. For example, when nurses move from the step-down unit to the intensive care unit, nurses are responsible for delegating tasks to them. Charge nurses are then responsible for the outcome… middle of paper… Summary line. Retrieved January 22, 2011, from http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=13395&search=accountability+of+nursing+professionalsBerlandi, J.L. (2002, June). Ethics in perioperative practice: accountability and responsibility. AORN Journal/Find articles on BNET. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_6_75/ai_88575988/?tag=content;col1Caulfield, H. (2005). Vital notes for nurses: responsibility. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=ZjhRLQrRM1cC&pg=PA4&dq=professional+accountability+in+nurses&hl=en&ei=_RM5TcyLCouusAOWydD8Ag&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA#v =one page &q =professional%20responsibilities%20in%20nurses&f=falseHood, L.J. (2010). Leddy and Pepper's Conceptual Foundations of Professional Nursing (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.