What Is Nursing Code Of Ethics

Ethical practice is another component of the social contract of nursing which is a reflection of the values, beliefs and moral principles of the nursing profession. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has established the “Code of Ethics for Nurses” which serves as a “guideline” for the nursing profession in which clinical judgements and

According to the ANA Code for Nurses Provision 1, nurses must treat and respect every patient with dignity, regardless of

The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics provides many professional traits that can be incorporated to an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals such as compassion and respect, advocacy, accountability for nursing practice and participation in advancement of the nursing career (Cherry, 2011). Compassion is a very important aspect of the nursing profession. It would be very difficult to be a nurse without being compassionate. Nurses demonstrate compassion and respect daily in their work by actively listening to patients’ and family members’ problems and concerns and by empathy when appropriate. Advocacy is a nursing trait constantly used by the entire interdisciplinary team. Nurses advocate for patients’ right of autonomy for decision making in regards to their care, treatments and procedures. Also, nurses are in the best position to serve as a bridge between the patient and the interdisciplinary team. Accountability is so essential in the nursing profession. Nurses are accountable for their own nursing practices and for our patients.

Fowler, M. D. (2010). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses: interpretation and application. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.

The main points of provision five of the ANA code of ethics are as follows: section 5.1, which is moral self-respect, suggests that nurses must care for themselves as much as they care for their patients. Nurses must do their best to maintain professional respect to themselves in regards of their competence and moral character. Section 5.2, which is professional growth and maintenance of competence, suggests that nurses must continue to self and peer evaluate themselves throughout their careers. Nurses must continue to learn current, up to date nursing practices through self, peer, and higher education. Section 5.3, which is wholeness of character, suggests that nurses must develop and take into consideration their own

The ANA is a professional organization that represents all the nation’s registered nurses. It helps the advancement of the nursing profession by issuing high standards of practice, and promoting the rights of nurses in the profession. The Code of Ethics is developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities, along with an appropriate quality in caring with the ethical obligations of the profession. Ethic has always been an essential part of nursing as nursing has a history of concern for the sick, injured. The Code of Ethics for Nurses serves these purposes: it serves

There are nine provisions included in the ANA code of ethics. The provisions can be broken into three categories. The first category is the nurse’s ethical responsibilities to her patient which is provisions one through three. Second is the nurse’s obligation to herself, provisions four through six. The third ethical requirement for nurses is related to their relationship to the nursing profession, community, nation, and world overall. This focus is summarized in provisions seven through nine [ (American Nurses Association, 2013) ].

The first spoke, “adherence to code for nurses,” represents the need for nurses to follow the rules laid out for them. These could be scope of practice, rules associated with certain workplaces and following proper procedures. To be professional, a

American Nurses Association (ANA) Standards of Professional Performance explains how all registered nurses do their work and activities consistently according to their professions that promote the wellbeing of their patients and communities (ANA, 2010a). The standards provide a mechanism to patients that they are been taken good care of and that the nurses know exactly what to do so as to provide high-quality care and the measures are in place to determine whether nursing care meets the standards. These activities are related to performance like ethics, quality of practice, education, communication, resources, leadership, environmental health, professional practice evaluation, and evidence-based practice and research. Registered nurses are responsible for their professional actions to themselves, their patients, their peers, and the community at large.

In 1995, the American Nurses Association started the Code of Ethics (the Code) for Nurses as a direction for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and ethical obligations of profession. The document is considered a dynamic document that can change with time. It has nine provisions, each with statements that provide the interpretation for the provisions according to a contemporary context. The provisions describe the practice of nursing as compassionate given unrestricted of social or economic status, personal attributes, or health issues (Provision 1). It declares the nurses' duty to promote and advocate patient's health, safety, and rights and to start, continue and improve health care environments (Provisions 2, 3, & 6).

The Code of Ethics for Nurses was created to be a guide for nurses to perform their duties in a way that is abiding with the ethical responsibilities of the nursing profession and quality in nursing care. The Code of Ethics has excellent guidelines for how nurses should behave, however; these parameters are not specific. They do not identify what is right and wrong, leaving nurses having to ultimately make that decision. Ethics in nursing involves individual interpretation based on personal morals and values. Nursing professionals have the ethical accountability to be altruistic, meaning a nurse who cares for patients without self-interest. This results in a nurse functioning as a patient advocate, making decisions that are in the best

The Code of Ethics relates to the 6 program outcomes in multiple ways. One of the program outcomes says, that we should demonstrate caring behaviors when providing care with respect of the individual. This is similar idea and has the same wording as the Code of Ethics which states that a nurse should practice with compassion and respect. Also, in the Code of Ethics it is said that the nurse has the authority and accountability for the nursing practice. The way that it is said on the program outcomes is that nurses are to apply knowledge and skills for the nursing practice. This is comparable because one is saying that the nurse is accountable for the nursing practice, and the other said it is the nurses responsibility to have the knowledge

With societal changes, nurses have gained greater independence and can fully participate in ethical-decisions. Consequently, the Nursing Code of Ethics

To define what is the code of ethics for Nurses, we should understand that a code of ethics is a written set of principles and rules intended to serve as a guideline for determining appropriate ethical behavior for those individuals under its authority. Firstly, “The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.” It is very important to nursing as nurses should always conduct themselves professionally and practice with respecting the rights of all persons which is not affected by race, cleanliness, illness, etc. By eliminating such influences from any personal bias or feelings the nurse has, they can prevent it from negatively affecting the care they receive. Secondly, “The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.”

Every profession has a code of ethics that outlines the responsibilities that need to be obtain in that professional setting. Codes of ethics from different profession might focus on issues pertaining to that field of practice. Code of ethics in the nursing profession tend to focus on behavior and decision making is patient driven. As a nurse we must respect the patient and colleagues.