importance of code of ethics in nursing essay

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Importance of Code of Ethics in Nursing Profession

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Table of Contents
Volume 20 - 2015
Number 2: May 2015
Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History

The Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History

Beth Epstein, PhD, RN is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing and is also a member of the faculty of the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the UVA School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA. She attended the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY for her BS in Biochemistry and then UVA for her MS in Pharmacology, BSN, and PhD in Nursing. Beth teaches ethics in the School of Nursing and lectures in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. She is an active member of the UVA Health System Ethics Consult Service and Ethics Committee, and currently directs the Moral Distress Consult Service.

Martha Turner PhD RN-BC is the Assistant Director of the American Nurses Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights (2006-present). She attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN for a BS and PhD in nursing, Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA for an MS in nursing and Ball State University in Muncie, IN for an MA in counseling psychology. Martha retired in January 2006 from Active Duty with the Air Force after 30 years. She was a flight nurse and achieved the rank of Colonel. Dr. Turner was the Consultant for Healthcare Ethics to the Air Force Surgeon General from 1998 until 2006. Her responsibilities included representing the DoD as an ex-officio member of the Secretary's (HHS) Advisory Committee for Genetics, Health and Society, reviewing policies related to many aspects of healthcare and developing ethics programs and ethics expertise throughout the Air Force Medical Service. She was a member of the Minnesota Nurses Association ethics committee from 1997-2002 and the Ethics Advisory Council of the Oncology Nurse Society from 1994-1996. Most recently (2010-2014) she staffed the revision of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements as content editor, revision coordinator and co-lead writer.

To practice competently and with integrity, today's nurses must have in place several key elements that guide the profession, such as an accreditation process for education, a rigorous system for licensure and certification, and a relevant code of ethics. The American Nurses Association has guided and supported nursing practice through creation and implementation of a nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements . This article will discuss ethics in society, professions, and nursing and illustrate how a professional code of ethics can guide nursing practice in a variety of settings. We also offer a brief history of the Code of Ethics , discuss the modern Code of Ethics , and describe the importance of periodic revision, including the inclusive and thorough process used to develop the 2015 Code and a summary of recent changes. Finally, the article provides implications for practicing nurses to assure that this document is a dynamic, useful resource in a variety of healthcare settings.

Key words: Ethics, code of ethics, nursing, profession

To practice competently and with integrity, today's nurses must have in place several key elements that guide the profession... Professional nursing is defined as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” ( ANA, 2010, p. 10 ). To practice competently and with integrity, today's nurses must have in place several key elements that guide the profession, such as an accreditation process for education, a rigorous system for certification and licensure, and a relevant code of ethics. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has guided and supported nursing practice through policy development and action; establishment of the scope and standards of nursing practice; and implementation of a nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (hereafter referred to as the Code; ANA, 2015b ). This article will discuss ethics in the context of society, professions, and nursing and illustrate how a professional code of ethics, specifically the Code, can guide nursing practice in a variety of settings. We also offer a brief history of the Code of Ethics, discuss the modern Code of Ethics and describe the importance of periodic revision, including the inclusive and thorough process used to develop the 2015 Code and a summary of recent changes. Finally, the article provides implications for practicing nurses to assure that the Code is a dynamic, useful resource in a variety of healthcare settings.

Ethics in Society, Professions, and Nursing

Ethics of Society

The agreement to live by rules may be externally imposed by laws and leaders or internally imposed by the common morality. The field of ethics addresses how we ought to treat each other, how we ought to act, what we ought to do, and why. We manage ethical issues every day as members of society, as members of families, and as members of a profession. To live in society, for example, we are obligated to not kill or hurt one another or to take from others what is not ours. These rules are not just in our own best interest (not to be killed, for instance), but they promote the flourishing of our society. We would likely have great difficulty living productive lives if we constantly worried about our homes being ransacked or our lives being in danger. The agreement to live by rules may be externally imposed by laws and leaders or internally imposed by the common morality.

In the 1600s, British philosopher Thomas Hobbes ( 1651/1950 ) posited that, if left solely to ourselves, we would be at constant war, “every man against every man (p. 103).” To counteract this for our own survival, notes Hobbes, we require strong leadership and an accepted social contract to guide conduct ( Hobbes, 1651/1950 ). Several leading contemporary bioethicists assert that as vulnerable human beings, we have realized the need to abide by a common set of moral rules, the common morality, which allow us to live and flourish without constant worry of destruction ( Beauchamp & Childress, 2009 ; Gert, 2004 ). These are not necessarily imposed upon us, as through strong leadership, but are internally driven moral rules. Regardless, our abilities to live peacefully and productively and to identify our obligations to one another in our own society and across cultures are informed by ethics.

Ethics of Professions

To consider ethical issues, some level of guidance about how to do so should be in place. Similarly, the choice to pursue a career in nursing, medicine, business, law, or other professions involves incorporating the obligations and virtues of that smaller “society.” These obligations and virtues are added to our already assumed obligations as members of the larger society. For health professionals in particular, Purtilo writes, “citizens in general are not morally required to help another in need. You are. Citizens are not morally required to keep in confidence information they hear about another. You are. Citizens are not morally required to be nonjudgmental about another’s character. You are…” ( Purtilo, 2005, p. 11 ). As professionals, we agree to identify those ethical issues that tend to arise within our chosen profession. To consider ethical issues, some level of guidance about how to do so should be in place. For many professions, this is done with a code of ethics. Examples include the Code of Medical Ethics , social workers’ Code of Ethics , and the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements ( AMA, 2014-2015 ; ANA, 2015b ; National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008 ). These documents guide practice decisions and set a standard of practice behavior expected of every member of a given profession.

Ethics and Nursing

Nurse involvement in biomedical ethics. Nurses typically encounter ethical issues in three realm of biomedical ethics including the broad, overarching, health-related problems that impact policy or society as a whole; dilemmas that arise within organizations; and those that affect patient populations or individual patients. Nurse researchers, policy makers, educators, consultants, administrators, ethicists, advanced practice nurses, and clinical nurses all encounter biomedically-related ethical problems every day ( Moon, Taylor, McDonald, Hughes & Carrese, 2009 ; Ulrich et al., 2010 ).

On a policy or societal level, broad questions are asked. Examples of such queries may include discussion about whether access to healthcare is a right or a privilege; how to protect research participants from harm; the most fair method for resource distribution during an Ebola crisis; or the inappropriateness of punitive measures against pregnant women who use drugs and alcohol. Nurses are involved in these questions as clinicians, researchers, policy makers, ethicists, and educators. They may participate in preparation of position statements and guidance documents from federal and national organizations such as the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues , the American Nurses Association , or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), to name a few ( Presidential Commission, 2015 ; ANA, 2015a , AACN, 2015 ).

...the organization and the nurse’s central place within it... are often a cause of nurses’ ethical dilemmas. At the organizational level, many ethically challenging questions arise for nurses. In the 1980s, Chambliss conducted a sociological study of hospital nurses to better understand the kinds of ethical issues that arose ( Chambliss, 1996 ). He embedded himself in a hospital setting and soon found that it was the organization and the nurse’s central place within it—the multiple loyalties, hierarchies of power, the tendency within systems to be slow to change and to impede individual practice—that was often a cause of nurses’ ethical dilemmas.

More recent literature about organizational ethics and culture has explored the hospital ethical climate and the culture of quality and safety, as well as shifts in financial concerns that influence professional practice ( Austin, 2007 ; Engelhard, 2014 ; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2001 ; Mills, 2014 ; Peter, Macfarlane, & O’Brien-Pallas, 2004 ). In their analysis of the moral habitability of the nursing work environment, Peter et al. ( 2004 ) found evidence of oppressive environments, moral suffering, and unclear, overwhelming role expectations. They also found, however, that nurses tended to identify paths of resistance and influence, such as finding strength in numbers and being assertive in order to achieve their goals. Other studies have evaluated relationships between ethical climate and job satisfaction, ethics stress (stressors related to ethical dilemmas within the healthcare setting), and moral distress (situations where the “right” action is known but cannot be carried out). Researchers have found that poor ethical climates were correlated with higher levels of moral distress, poorer job satisfaction, and increased likelihood of intent to leave a position ( Hamric & Blackhall, 2001 ; Whitehead, Herbertson, Hamric, Epstein & Fisher, 2015 ; Pauly, Varcoe, Storch & Newton, 2009 ; Ulrich et al., 2007 ). Thus, it is clear that the organizational ethics aspects of healthcare are important factors for nurses.

An effective ethical code for nursing practice must provide guidance on managing ethical problems that arise at the societal level, the organizational level, and the clinical level. On a clinical level, ethical questions arise every day. In a study of the ethical issues encountered by nurses, Ulrich et al. ( 2010 ) found that more than 60% of nurses identified patient’s rights, autonomy, and informed consent as frequent or daily problems. Other common issues included advanced care planning, surrogate decision making, end-of-life decision making, and breeches of confidentiality ( Ulrich et al., 2007 ). Pavlish, Brown-Saltzman, Hersh, Shirk & Rounkle ( 2011 ) explored the ethical issues, actions and regrets of nurses and found that unnecessary pain and suffering, difficult decision making, and inattention to patient autonomy were problematic. Nurses acted in several ways to address these problems, such as communicating and speaking up, advocating and collaborating, being present and empathetic, and being informed ( Pavlish et al., 2011 ).

The utility of the Code . An effective ethical code for nursing practice must provide guidance on managing ethical problems that arise at the societal level, the organizational level, and the clinical level. The following fictional case, adapted from White and Zibelman ( 2005 ) illustrates a bedside nurse’s dilemma that has both clinical, patient-level aspects and organizational aspects. This scenario demonstrates the benefit of the Code as a useful tool for evaluation and action.

Mr. Logan is a 48 year old who has struggled with an opioid addiction for the past 5 years. Recently, he was playing basketball with friends when he slipped on the court, fell, and broke his arm badly. After his arm was repaired surgically, the physician orders acetaminophen, 650 milligrams by mouth or normal saline, 1 cc, IM, prn for pain. The nurse asks the physician about this, concerned about Mr. Logan’s pain control post-operatively. The physician says, “I’m not going to add insult to injury. Tell Mr. Logan you’re giving him medication for his pain. Hopefully he’ll get a placebo effect.” Meanwhile, Mr. Logan is in excruciating pain. The nurse gives him the acetaminophen and several injections of the “pain medicine” with no effect. Mr. Logan says, “What are you giving me? It isn’t working!” What should the nurse do now?

The immediate questions that arise in this dilemma are, ‘should the nurse deceive Mr. Logan?’ ‘is this an appropriate use of placebo?’, ‘how should Mr. Logan participate in his own pain management plan?’, and ‘how should the nurse advocate for the patient?’ To answer these questions, the Code and other resources provide guidance.

In Mr. Logan’s case, the defining question is, does deceiving the patient provide any benefit or prevent any risk? The action to question this physician order suggests that nurse believes that deceiving the patient is wrong. Provision 1 of the Code states that the nurse is obligated to act with compassion and to respect the dignity and autonomy of each patient ( ANA, 2015b ). Lying to the patient, watching him suffer, and not involving him in his plan of care achieve neither goal. Additionally, Provision 5 addresses preserving one’s own dignity and 5.4 more specifically notes the threat to one’s integrity that is done by deceiving patients and withholding information ( ANA, 2015b ). However, in this case, there is an inkling of doubt because of the possibility of a placebo effect. That is, the saline injection may induce some analgesic effect even though it is not a pain medication. Also, there is some concern that while an opioid may provide short-term benefit, it could cause harm in the longer term by causing re-addiction. In Mr. Logan’s case, the defining question is, does deceiving the patient provide any benefit or prevent any risk?

After review of the Code and a search of the literature, Mr. Logan’s nurse understands more fully that deceiving him is wrong... Investigating the risks and benefits of placebo use and pain management in patients with histories of substance abuse will be helpful to answer this question. The American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics prohibits use of placebo except when the patient is fully informed ( AMA, 2007 ). However, placebo use continues even after years of advocacy against this practice. Thus it is not surprising that there are healthcare providers still willing to use placebos, including the physician in Mr. Logan’s case ( Arnstein, Broglio, Wuhrman & Kean, 2011 ; Fassler, Meissner, Schneider, & Linde, 2010 ). A recent position statement by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing supports a pain management regimen including careful monitoring and agreement with a fully-informed patient ( Oliver et al., 2012 ). After review of the Code and a search of the literature, Mr. Logan’s nurse understands more fully that deceiving him is wrong because it is disrespectful of the patient, diminishes his autonomy, and threatens the nurse’s own integrity. Using a placebo to treat Mr. Logan’s pain without his consent is inappropriate for the same reasons and is not in keeping with current guidelines for pain management.

The question now becomes, how should the nurse best advocate for this patient? Whether or not to advocate is not in doubt (Provision 3), but just how to do that is a bit more difficult. This dilemma is also an organizational issue as the nurse does not have authority to single-handedly change the prescription. Clearly, advocating will involve collaboration with a hesitant physician. The Code can provide some guidance, but some weighing and balancing of the different provisions is necessary. In response to Mr. Logan’s question, “What are you giving me?” the nurse could inform him that the physician has prescribed saline in the hopes that he would have a placebo effect. This would alleviate the concern about deception and withholding information (Provision 5.4). Conversely, this may undermine Mr. Logan’s trust in the physician as well as the nurse (Provision 1.2: Relationships with patients). In addition, it may threaten the collegial relationship between the nurse and physician (Provision 2.3 and 8 address interprofessional collaboration), a relationship that will continue long after Mr. Logan has been discharged. Provision 6 also addresses maintaining an ethical work environment in order to support quality of care. Another alternative for the nurse is to collaborate with the physician first, bringing to light the concerns about patient deception and the evidence of inappropriate placebo use. This alternative action will hopefully have several benefits, such as increasing the likelihood of a more effective treatment plan, maintaining patient trust in the healthcare team, and supporting a professional and collegial doctor-nurse relationship. The potential benefits of approaching the physician first suggest that this is the more sound, justifiable solution to the dilemma.

The Code can provide direction for multiple levels of direct and indirect care. Ethical issues in clinical nursing often involve not only dilemmas at the bedside, but also dilemmas at the organizational level, such as navigating a complex system to protect a patient or provide quality care or identifying ways to collaborate with colleagues to maintain strong working relationships and trust. The Code ( ANA, 2015b ) can provide direction for multiple levels of direct and indirect care. The Code applies to other areas of nursing practice as well, such as nursing education, research, and policy making. Advancing the profession through research and policy by attending to informed consent, advocacy, and accountability of practice are examples of other professional areas of practice with potential ethical dilemmas that make the provisions of the Code a relevant nursing resource.

A Brief History of the Code of Ethics

...for many years, nurses had no formalized code of ethics and used Gretter’s Nightingale Pledge, akin to medicine’s Hippocratic Oath, to guide their practice. The first formal code of ethics for nurses was adopted in 1950 ( Fowler, 1997 ). However, a need for ethical guidance was recognized soon after modern nursing began to formalize in the mid-1800s. Although in 1896, one of the initial goals of the newly established American Nurses Association was to write a code of ethics, urgent issues such as nurse registration, the welfare of nurses, and accreditation processes for nursing schools took precedence ( Fowler, 1997 ). Thus, for many years, nurses had no formalized code of ethics and used Gretter’s Nightingale Pledge, akin to medicine’s Hippocratic Oath, to guide their practice ( ANA, n.d. ).

In the early 1900s, Isabel Hampton Robb’s text, Nursing's Ethics for Hospital and Private Use described the obligations of the nurse to the patient, physician, institution, self, and profession and the creativity needed to find solutions to problems and provide good nursing care (Robb, 1926). In 1926, the ANA published a “suggested” code which provided the first outline of ethical behavior for nurses ( ANA, 1926 ). The provisions were framed in terms of the various relationships between the nurse and patient; the nurse and medicine; and nurses and their profession. For example, the relation of the nurse to the patient involved “bringing all of the knowledge, skill, and devotion” to the work ( ANA, 1926, p. 600 ).

The first formal Code for Professional Nurses was adopted in 1950 and was edited slightly before being revised in 1960. At the same time as the suggested code, ethics was on the minds of nurse faculty and administrators in terms of training and educating nursing students and practicing nurses ( Crawford, 1926 ; Ethical Problems, 1926 ; Ethical Problems, 1933 ; Fowler, 1997 ). Their work highlights the thinking of the time, that is, that character was a significant factor in determining right action. Ms. Beulah Crawford’s article, How and What to Teach in Nursing Ethics stated, “…in the end, it is the character of the nurse which makes her; if she has the right principles she will not go far wrong in the minor matters” ( Crawford, 1926, p. 211 ) and included nursing etiquette or rules of conduct in the hospital setting. The article provided direction about which aspects of character and living help a nurse “steer her craft safely on the stormy seas” (p. 212), such as accepting authority, being adaptable to difficult situations, being industrious, and using “judgment in the use of the tongue” (p. 212).

A “Tentative Code” in 1940 ( ANA, 1940 ) described nursing as a profession and outlined many provisions similar to those in the 1926 suggested code, including framing the provisions in terms of relationships to patient, colleagues, and profession. The first formal Code for Professional Nurses was adopted in 1950 and was edited slightly before being revised in 1960 ( Fowler, 1997 ). The 1960 Code for Professional Nurses outlined 17 provisions beginning with the “fundamental responsibility…to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, and to promote health” and extending to accountability for practice and conduct, participation in research and “action on matters of legislation affecting nurses” ( ANA, 1960, p. 1287 ) .

...the Code has been revised over time to introduce obligations to advance the profession and build and maintain a healthy work environment. The 1968 revision of the Code included several significant changes ( ANA, 1968 ). First, prior to this revision, the provisions were simply listed with little, if any, interpretation. The new code provided brief interpretations which helped the nurse see how the provision might be applied. Second, the provisions were reduced from 17 to a more manageable 10. Finally, there was a fundamental shift in language in the 1968 revision. The obligations of the nurse changed from generalized responsibilities to “conserve life, alleviate suffering and promote health” ( ANA, 1960, p 1287 ) to a deeper, more duty-based obligation to “respect the dignity of man, unrestricted by considerations of nationality, race, creed, color, or status” and to “safeguard the individual’s right to privacy” ( ANA, 1968, p. 2582 ). With changes in the level of practice independence; advances in technology; societal changes; and expansion of nursing practice into advanced practice roles, research, education, health policy, and administration, the Code has been revised over time to introduce obligations to advance the profession and build and maintain a healthy work environment ( ANA, 1976 ; ANA, 1985 ; ANA, 2001 ; ANA, 2015b ).

The Modern Code of Ethics

As in the past, the current Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements forms a central foundation for our profession to guide nurses in their decisions and conduct. As in the past, the current Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements ( ANA, 2015b ) forms a central foundation for our profession to guide nurses in their decisions and conduct. It establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable in all roles and in all settings. The Code is written by nurses to express their understanding of their professional commitment to society. It describes the profession’s values, obligations, duties, and professional ideals. The provisions and interpretive statements reflect broad expectations without articulating exact activities or behaviors. The 2015 Code “addresses individual as well as collective nursing intentions and actions; it requires each nurse to demonstrate ethical competence in professional life” ( ANA, 2015b, p. vii ). Nurse practice acts in many states incorporate the Code of Ethics. Even though the Code is primarily ethics-related, it also has legal implications. Given the importance of the Code to the profession on so many levels, revisions continue on a regular basis.

The Process for Revising the Code

[The Code] is a living document that informs and is informed by advances in healthcare... As society changes, so must the Code ( ANA, 2015b ). It is a living document that informs and is informed by advances in healthcare such as genomics, technology, new roles for nurses and changes in healthcare delivery. The nine provisions address the general, enduring obligations of nurses and rarely require major revision. However, the interpretive statements are more specific and address current topics and issues. Since healthcare-related problems rapidly unfold in our society, the interpretive statements must be reviewed and revised every 10 to 12 years. Review of the 2001 Code ( ANA, 2001 ) revealed several areas requiring updates in language and content. An overview of this process below illustrates the intentional considerations inherent to the revision, the opportunities for nurse participation at all levels, and the impact that nurses have toward the final product.

The use of technology made this recent revision process more effective and efficient than in previous times. For example, the pre-internet revision of the 1985 Code ( ANA, 1985 ) took seven years, had many onsite committee meetings, and handled over 15,000 written responses following a solicitation for feedback, editorial comments, and suggestions. In the revision of the 2001 Code ( ANA, 2001 ), greater use of technology resulted in a single onsite meeting. Much work was accomplished using conference calls, email, and other electronic platforms (e.g., screen sharing software) over a 4-year period from initial review to publication. Table 1 provides a timeline of the most recent Code revision process. Nurses participating in the revision process took advantage of technology for online committee meetings and discussions and online public comment periods to solicit feedback from nurses across the country. Previously, public comment was solicited by mailing multiple copies of the draft manuscript to the state nurses’ associations and other associations, which were then edited and returned to the ANA.

Table 1: Timeline of the Revision Process for the 2015 Code

October 2010	Initial discussion of process for Code review
June 2012	Code Review Working Group appointed
February 2013 through April 2013	Online survey comment period and analysis of survey findings
May 2013	Recommendation from the Ethics Advisory Board that the Code be revised approved by ANA President

September 2013	Code Steering Committee established to draft the revision
May 2014 through June 2014	Draft revision posted for public comment; suggestions evaluated
November 2014	Approved by ANA Board of Directors for publication

The process for the most recent revision began with an initial review by the ANA Ethics Advisory board of the current Code provisions and interpretive statements, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) code ( ICN, 2012 ), and the codes of other health professions such as pharmacy, occupational therapy, social work, medicine, physical therapy, and public health. This extensive review helped to determine the need for revision. The Code Review Working Group was appointed to collect public comment regarding the need for revision.

A qualitative content analysis ( Miles & Huberman, 1994 ; Patton, 2002 ) of the 2783 public comment responses was conducted. The summary report of this analysis included recommendations to revise the 2001 Code ( ANA, 2001 ) for the following reasons:

Time and Relevance

Thirteen years had passed since the previous Code revision. New issues had important ethical implications to address in the Code. These included the widespread use of social media and resultant threats to privacy; use of emerging technologies throughout healthcare; growing importance of inter-professional collaboration; a stronger and more direct consideration of social justice as a core value; and an inclusion of global health responsibilities of the profession.
Comments on the first seven provisions and interpretive statements were not sufficiently compelling to warrant a substantive revision. However, comments on the remaining provisions (8 and 9) did press for revision for different reasons. Unlike other provisions, Provision 8 had changed in a way that it had lost its original meaning and thus had a dual focus that needed to be unified and sharpened. Provision 9 was different in that it was both new and unique in the history of the Code when approved in 2001. Now that it had become an accepted part of the Code it, too, needed to be sharpened.
The preface and afterword required revision for clarity to help the reader by providing a framework for the Code.

Access to Resources

Links were recommended to provide access to various ANA position statements; Scopes and Standards of Practice; and the Social Policy Statement ( ANA, 2010 ) to facilitate navigation through all the major resources of the ANA as well as links to external resources that support or elaborate on content in the Code.

Nursing Roles and Advocacy

Recommendations were made to specifically address the role of nurse executives in the Code, to ensure a climate for ethical practice and civility and create a healthier practice environment for nurses, and to address the roles and responsibilities of APRNs.
The nurses’ role in leadership, advocacy, and collective action for social justice should be highlighted to underscore the urgent need to address determinants of health.
The nurses’ voice in social and health policy should be strengthened to add to the unified efforts on behalf of all in the profession.

After recommendations were accepted, the ANA website, NursingWorld, posted a call with an invitation to participate in the revision. More than 400 nurses volunteered; from these 15 were selected to serve on the Code Steering Committee (SC). Between September 2013 and April 2014, a draft revision was prepared. Throughout the process of writing and editing, a Code scholar with several publications on the nursing Code of Ethics ( Fowler, 1985 ; 1992 ; 1997 ; 2010 ; & 2015 ) and participation experience in the 2001 code revision simultaneously reviewed and edited the drafts. In May 2014, the edited draft was posted for public comment. By early June, nearly 1,000 individuals had posted suggestions for changes, clarifications, additions, or deletions. Each suggestion was evaluated using the analysis processes described above, preserving the essential and eliminating the incidental. Further revisions were made based on this additional analysis. A final version of the 2015 Code was approved by the ANA Board of Directors in November 2014 and was published on NursingWorld in January 2015.

Changes in the 2015 Code of Ethics for Nurses

The revision process led to several significant changes in the 2015 Code of Ethics. The revision process led to several significant changes in the 2015 Code of Ethics ( ANA, 2015b ). Overall, the document’s language has been updated. For example, terms such as “technology,” “social media,” “genetics,” “incivility in the workplace,” “pain and suffering,” and “evidence informed practice” have been added. Other broad changes include increased emphasis on nursing leadership; renewed emphasis on the inclusion of nurses in all roles and in all settings; and strengthening of the nurse’s voice in social and health policy and of the nurse’s role in global health. The preface was revised to strengthen the purpose of the Code, the ethical framework, and the context. A new introduction now clarifies terms such as “patient,” “client,” and “consumer,” “moral,” “ethical,” and the differences between “must,” “ought,” and “should.” A glossary of terms was added and a list of online resources and other support documents will be posted on the ANA website.

The Code Provisions have been reworded to be more concise and better articulate their intent, although the general structure remains the same as the 2001 Code ( ANA, 2001 ). For example, the first three provisions still describe the most fundamental values and commitments of the nurse; the next three address boundaries of duty and loyalty, and the last three address aspects of duties beyond individual patient encounters. Finally, there were significant changes to the interpretive statements, where content has been updated to improve relevance to modern day practice, reorganized for consistency with the wording in the provisions, and revised to reduce redundancy.

Summary: Implications for Practice

The Code is an important document that can provide effective guidance as the nurse negotiates the complexities inherent to many situations. This article has suggested several implications for nursing practice including consideration of the everyday nature of ethical concerns in nursing at multiple levels, the usefulness of the Code ( ANA, 2015b ) as a guide, and the importance of an inclusive and thorough process for revising the Code. Each day, situations arise for nurses that require both decision and action, and may include ethical dilemmas. Examples of those most common include errors and near misses, delegation, end-of-life care, use of technology and fatigue. Managing these challenges well contributes to safe, compassionate, quality care. The Code ( ANA, 2015b ) is an important document that can provide effective guidance as the nurse negotiates the complexities inherent to many situations.

Nurses and other healthcare professionals are not expected to be able to resolve complex ethical problems alone, using only a code of ethics. Often, other resources are needed to grasp the full complexity of an ethical dilemma. Selected potentially helpful online resources are listed in Table 2 . Today’s professional nurses are engaged in ethical thinking and ethical challenges in a wide variety of settings. The following recommendations can be helpful at any level of practice:

Research hospital policies and legal information related to the concern under review.
Consider an ethics consult service. It often requires a team of individuals to fully understand and resolve difficult ethical problems. However, professional codes of ethics provide support and direction about behavior(s).
Consider the three levels of ethical engagement when reviewing a dilemma, specifically the broad, societal level of biomedical ethics where questions affecting health and healthcare are generated (e.g., stem cell research, healthcare for undocumented immigrants); the organizational level (e.g., hospital system obligations to its employees, hierarchical structures, bed allocation); and the clinical level (e.g., withdrawal of aggressive treatment, surrogate decision making).
Participate in the ongoing revision of the nursing Code. This article provided an outline of the modern process for Code revision. Nurses in every role and every setting were invited to, and did, participate in the process. When the next call is made, take time to offer your suggestions to ensure the Code continues to remain a relevant resource for practice.

Table 2. Online Resources

Today’s Code ( ANA, 2015b ) is a result of the ANA’s long-standing commitment to support nurses in their daily life and practice. The process for the 2015 Code revisions used technology to a great advantage. This provided an avenue for a highly participatory process to receive input from all nurses in every type of practice and allow working groups to collaborate efficiently and effectively with a minimum of travel. Recognizing that nursing practice extends from horizon to horizon—from the bedside to the classroom, from the executive suite to the laboratory bench—the 2015 Code continues to provide all nurses with a firm foundation for ethical practice

Beth Epstein, PhD, RN Email: [email protected]

Martha Turner, PhD, RN-BC Email: [email protected]

American Association of Critical Care Nurses. (2015). Standards . Retrieved from www.aacn.org/WD/Practice/Content/standards.content?menu=Practice&lastmenu

American Medical Association. (2014-2015). Code of medical ethics. Retrived from www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics.page

American Medical Association. (2007). Code of medical ethics, opinion 8.083: Placebo use in clincal practice. Retrieved from www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion8083.page .

American Nurses Association. (1926). A suggested code. American Journal of Nursing 26(8) : 599-601.

American Nurses Association. (1940). A tentative code. American Journal of Nursing 40(9): 977-980

American Nurses Association. (1960). The code for professional nurses. American Journal of Nursing 60(9) : 1287.

American Nurses Association. (1968). Code for nurses. American Journal of Nursing 68(12) : 2581-2585.

American Nurses Association. (1976). Code for nurses. ANA Publishing: Kansas City, MO.

American Nurses Association. (1985). Code for nurses with interpretive statements. ANA Publishing: Washington, DC.

American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics with interpretive statements. ANA Publishing: Silver Spring, MD.

American Nurses Association. (2010). Nursing’s social policy statement: The essence of the profession. ANA Publishing: Silver Spring, MD.

American Nurses Association. (2015a). American Nurses Association position statements on ethics and human rights . Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Ethics-Position-Statements

American Nurses Association. (2015b). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Silver Spring, MD: Nursesbooks.org Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics-For-Nurses.html

American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Nightingale pledge . Retrieved from: www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA/WhereWeComeFrom/FlorenceNightingalePledge.aspx

Arnstein, P., Broglio, K., Wuhrman, E. & Kean, M.B. (2011). Use of placebos in pain management. Pain Management Nursing, 12(4): 225-229.

Austin, W. (2007). The ethics of everyday practice: Healthcare environments as moral communities. Advances in Nursing Science, 30(1) : 81-88.

Beauchamp, T.L. & Childress, J.F. (2009). Principles of biomedical ethics , 6 th ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

Chambliss, D. F. (1996). Beyond caring: Hospitals, nurses, and the social organization of ethics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Crawford, B, (1926). How and what to teach in nursing ethics. American Journal of Nursing, 26(3), 211-215.

Engelhard, C.L. (2014). Healthcare ethics and a changing healthcare system. In G.L. Filerman, A.E. Mills, & P.M. Schyve (eds). Managerial ethics in healthcare: A new perspective . Chicago: Health Administration Press/Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

Ethical problems. (1926). American Journal of Nursing, 26 (8), 643

Ethical problems. (1933). American Journal of Nursing, 33 (3), 266

Fassler, M., Meissner, K., Schneider, A., Linde, K. (2010). Frequency and circumstances of placebo use in clinical practice: A systematic review of empirical studies. BMC Medicine, 8 :15. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-8-15

Fowler, M. (1985). The evolution of the code for nurses. The California Nurse, 81(5): 5.

Fowler, M. (1992). Evolution of the code. In Ethical dilemmas in contemporary nursing practice (G.B. White, Ed). ANA: Washington, DC.

Fowler, M. (1997). Nursing’s ethics. In A.J.Davis, M.A. Aroskar, J.Liaschenko, T.S.Drought (Eds).: Ethical dilemmas and nursing practice. 4 th Ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange.

Fowler, M. (ed.) (2010). Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses: Interpretation and Application. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association Publishing.

Fowler, M (2015). Guide to the Code of Ethics for Nurses: Development, Interpretation and Application (2nd ed). Silver Spring, MD: ANA.

Gert, B. (2004). Common morality: Deciding what to do . New York: Oxford University Press.

Hamric, A.B. & Blackhall, L.J. (2007). Nurse-physician perspectives on the care of dying patients in intensive care units: Collaboration, moral distress, and ethical climate. Critical Care Medicine 35 : 422-429.

Hobbes, T. 1588-1679 (1950). Leviathan . New York: Dutton. (Original work published in 1651)

International Council of Nurses. (2012). The ICN code of ethics for nurses. Geneva, Switzerland: Author. Retrieved from www.icn.ch/images/stories/documents/about/icncode_english.pdf

Institute of Medicine, Committee on Quality of Health Care in America (2001). Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21 st century . Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2 nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Mills, A.E. (2014). Ethics and the healthcare organization. In G.L. Filerman, A.E. Mills, & P.M. Schyve (eds). Managerial ethics in healthcare: A new perspective . Chicago: Health Administration Press/Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

Moon, M., Taylor, H.A., McDonald, E.L., Hughes, M.T. & Carrese, J.A. (2009). Everyday ethics issues in the outpatient clinical practice of pediatric residents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163(9) : 838-843.

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers . Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

Oliver, J., Coggins, C., Compton, P, Hagan, S., Matteliano, D., Stanton, M… Turner, H.N (2012). American society for pain management nursing position statement: Pain management in patients with substance use disorders. Pain Management Nursing 13(3): 169-183. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2012.07.001

Pauly, B., Varcoe, C., Storch, J. & Newton, L. (2009). Registered nurses’ perceptions of moral distress and ethical climate. Nursing Ethics, 16(5): 561-573.

Pavlish, C., Brown-Saltzman, K., Hersh, M., Shirk, M., & Rounkle, A-M. (2011). Nursing priorities, actions, and regrets for ethical situations in clinical practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 43(4) : 385-295. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01422.x.

Peter, E.H., Macfarlane, A.V. & O’Brien-Pallas, L.L. (2004). Analysis of the moral habitability of the nursing work environment. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(4) : 356-367.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3 rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Presidential Commission. (2015). Presidential commission for the study of bioethical issues. Retrieved from http://bioethics.gov/

Purtilo, R. (2005). Ethical dimensions in the health professions. 4 th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders.

Ulrich, C., O’Donnell, P, Taylor, C., Farrar, A., Danis, M. & Grady, C. (2007). Ethical climate, ethics stress, and the job satisfaction of nurses and social workers in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 65(8) : 1708-1719.

Ulrich, C. M., Taylor, C., Soeken, K., O’Donnell, P., Farrar, A., Danis, M. & Grady, C. (2010). Everyday ethics: Ethical issues and stress in nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(11) : 2510-2519. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05425.x.

White, B.C. & Zimbelman, J.C. (2005). Moral dilemmas in community health care: Cases and commentaries. New York: Pearson/Longman.

Whitehead, P.B., Herbertson, R.K., Hamric, A.B., Epstein, E.G. & Fisher, J.M. (2015). Moral distress among healthcare professionals: Report of an institution-wide survey. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 47(2): 117-125. doi:10.1111/jnu.12115

May 31, 2015

DOI : 10.3912/OJIN.Vol20No02Man04

https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol20No02Man04

Citation: Epstein, B., Turner, M., (May 31, 2015) "The Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 20, No. 2, Manuscript 4.

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What is the Nursing Code of Ethics?

4 Ethical Principles in Nursing

Nursing Code of Ethics Interpretive Statements

Making ethical decisions as a nurse, history of the nursing code of ethics, how nurses use the nursing code of ethics.

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) , the nursing code of ethics is a guide for “carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession.”

Ethics, in general, are the moral principles that dictate how a person will conduct themselves. Ethical values are essential for ALL healthcare workers, but ethical principles in nursing are particularly important given their role as caregivers.

There are 4 main principles of the nursing code of ethics:

Beneficence
Non-maleficence

These principles are ideally what every nurse should be aware of in their daily nursing practice. While ethical principles are sometimes confusing and often taught briefly during undergraduate nursing -- they should be constants in nursing practice in order to provide the best, safest, and most humane care to all patients.

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4 Ethical Principles in Nursing

1. autonomy .

Autonomy in nursing is recognizing each individual patient’s right to self-determination and decision-making. As patient advocates, it is imperative that nurses ensure that patients receive all medical information, education, and options in order to choose the option that is best for them. This includes all potential risks, benefits, and complications to make well-informed decisions.

Once the patient has all the relevant information, the medical and nursing team can make a plan of care in compliance with the medical wishes of the patient.

It is important that nurses support the patient in their medical wishes and ensure that the medical team is remembering those wishes. Sometimes, nurses will need to continue to advocate for a patient despite the wishes being verbalized because the medical team might not agree with those wishes.

Many factors may influence a patient's acceptance or refusal of medical treatment, such as culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, general health, and social support system.

2. Beneficence

Beneficence in nursing is acting for the good and welfare of others and including such attributes as kindness and charity. The American Nurses Association defines this as “actions guided by compassion.”

Justice is that there should be an element of fairness in all medical and nursing decisions and care. Nurses must care for all patients with the same level of fairness despite the individual's financial abilities, race, religion, gender, and/or sexual orientation.

An example of this is when working at a free flu clinic or diabetes screening clinic. These are open to all individuals in the community regardless of the previously mentioned factors.

4. Nonmaleficence

Nonmaleficence is to do no harm. This is the most well-known of the main principles of nursing ethics. More specifically, it is selecting interventions and care that will cause the least amount of harm to achieve a beneficial outcome

The principle of nonmaleficence ensures the safety of the patient and community in all care delivery. Nurses are also responsible for reporting treatment options that are causing significant harm to a patient, which may include suicidal or homicidal ideations.

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Revised in 2015 to include 9 provisions, the ANA’s nursing code of ethics now includes interpretative statements that can provide more specific guidance for nursing practice.

9 Provisions of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Currently, the nurse’s code of ethics contains 9 main provisions:

The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.
The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population.
The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.
The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; makes decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to provide optimal patient care.
The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.
The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.
The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy.
The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organization, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.

The nine provisions were implemented to help guide nurses in ethical decision-making throughout their practice.

Unfortunately, nurses are often unable to make complex ethical decisions based solely on the four principles and nine provisions. In these instances, it is important to consult the ethics committee before making any major decisions. Often, other resources are needed when making major ethical decisions.

Interestingly, the nursing code of ethics is suggested to have been founded in 1893 and named the “Nightingale Pledge” after Florence Nightingale , the founder of modern nursing. As a modification of the Hippocratic Oath, taken by medical doctors, the Nightingale Pledge has been recited by nursing students at graduations with little changes since inception.

The formal code of ethics was developed in the 1950s by the American Nurses Association (ANA) and has undergone numerous modifications since. The most significant recent change was in 2015 when 9 interpretative statements or provisions were added to the code of ethics to help guide nursing practice in a more definitive way.

Many states include the ANA’s nursing code of ethics in their practice statements. Even though the code of ethics is primarily ethics-related, it also has legal implications. Given the importance of the code to the nursing profession, revisions continue on a regular basis.

Knowing the nursing code of ethics is essential for nurses because it will help guide everyday practice and navigate the daily complexities of the healthcare profession. Nurses often use the four major ethical principles throughout a shift, even if not fully aware of them.

This may include,

Providing pain medication to a post-operative hip replacement
Holding the hand of a dying patient who is alone
Advocating for the patient that wants to end chemotherapy and enter hospice care

Nursing is consistently regarded as the most honest and ethical profession and practicing with the nursing code of ethics is essential to ensuring that patients and their families receive the care they have come to know and expect. Utilizing the ethical codes of justice, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and beneficence on a daily basis allows nurses to provide the safest and most compassionate care for their patients.

What are the five codes of ethics in nursing?

The 5 nursing ethic codes are: nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy, justice, and privacy/confidentiality.

What is the Professional Code of Ethics for Nurses?

The Professional Code of Ethics for Nurses is the guiding outline for how nurses should behave ethically within their profession and how they should decide to act if they encounter barriers that prevent them from fulfilling their professional obligations.

Why is the code of ethics important in nursing?

It can guide nurses’ professional behavior, provide a framework for decision-making when faced with challenges, and provide support and help prevent moral distress.

What is the code of ethics in healthcare?

There is not one board ethical code for every healthcare professional, although it has been proposed. Instead, each branch of healthcare, from quality control to medical directors to physicians to nursing, has its own ethical codes.

What is scholarly ethics in nursing?

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Kathleen Gaines (nee Colduvell) is a nationally published writer turned Pediatric ICU nurse from Philadelphia with over 13 years of ICU experience. She has an extensive ICU background having formerly worked in the CICU and NICU at several major hospitals in the Philadelphia region. After earning her MSN in Education from Loyola University of New Orleans, she currently also teaches for several prominent Universities making sure the next generation is ready for the bedside. As a certified breastfeeding counselor and trauma certified nurse, she is always ready for the next nursing challenge.

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Nursing Code of Ethics: The Ultimate Guide to Ethical Challenges

#i',$content, -1); --> table of contents a brief history of the nursing code of ethics code of ethics in nursing as basics of professional behavior the importance of studying the code of ethics for nurses main principles of the american nurses association code of ethics code of ethics nursing: 9 provisions a nurse must adhere to how can code of ethics for nursing help shape good nurses in conclusion all healthcare professionals must adhere to ethical standards. however, for nurses, keeping ethical principles is of paramount importance. according to statistics, nurses in a hospital spend about 60% of their time communicating with patients. this percentage is even higher in intensive care units in hospices and nursing homes. so, adhering to ethical standards is critical to doing a quality job. equally important is knowing how to deal with ethical dilemmas and solve related problems. the american nurses association (ana) has developed a nursing code of ethics. this is not just a set of rules but a support system that makes nurses’ jobs easier and their decisions more informed. it lays down the basic moral principles of healthcare. a brief history of the nursing code of ethics.

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Florence Nightingale, one of the most famous nurses in history, laid down the fundamental principles of the nursing code of ethics in the 19th century. She also established the groundwork for contemporary healthcare practices. Later, in the 50s of the 20th century, the American Nurses Association (ANA) unified these principles.

The Code of Ethics has undergone many revisions and additions. The last major revision passed in 2015, and a new one is scheduled for 2025. Changes are planned to adapt the regulation to modern challenges. However, the basics of the code of ethics, which include autonomy, beneficence, justice, and nonmaleficence, will remain unchanged.

Code of Ethics in Nursing as Basics of Professional Behavior

For more than 20 years, nursing has been the most moral profession in the United States, according to surveys. The code of ethics for nursing is one of the reasons for this high rating. This is the foundation of professional behavior, a set of principles and standards that define ethical obligations to clients, their families, colleagues, and society. The code should not be confused with job descriptions. The latter represents more technical and procedural work norms; the code, in turn, determines the general atmosphere of the working processes.

Many of the principles are self-evident norms of working behavior, and their observance simplifies the job and helps the patients feel safe. A person who feels cared for is better able to share their concerns and problems, which can be critical in determining successful treatment. Besides, it leads to better adherence to medical prescriptions after discharge, which has a beneficial effect on the number of remissions and results in the long term.

The Importance of Studying the Code of Ethics for Nurses

Competent and polite communication with clients is no less important than the ability to perform standard care procedures. In such a case, ethical awareness is just as much a part of professionalism. The code of ethics for nurses is an indispensable guide to becoming a good healthcare professional with well-developed communication skills. It is not just a course to take in nursing school but one of the fundamentals of quality care improvement.

The importance of code of ethics in nursing cannot be overemphasized. Knowing and successfully applying this code ensures a personalized approach to every patient and improving their outcomes. In addition, the study of nursing ethical considerations forms a common standard of behavior for all workers, which helps find answers to complex ethical issues. This enhances the standard of medical care and boosts trust in the field.

Main Principles of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics defines the 4 main ethical principles when working with patients.

Autonomy in Nursing means people have the right to freedom of choice in treatment wherever possible. Nurses should respect patients’ views and support them in making informed decisions about their health.
Beneficence in Nursing implies that nurses should do their best to improve patients’ health, morale, and quality of life, focusing their interests first rather than the specialist’s personal opinion.
The Justice principle suggests that nurses should treat each person equally. They should give each patient the necessary attention and distribute their care fairly without preference or bias.
The Non-maleficence principle of health care means that the nurse must ensure that the patient’s health and morale are not harmed. The cardinal rule of medicine should guide every action: “The main thing is not to harm.”

Adherence to these principles helps maintain the high quality of healthcare delivery and prevent wrong ethical decisions.

Code of Ethics Nursing: 9 Provisions a Nurse Must Adhere To

In addition to adhering to the 4 core principles of the ANA’s Code, it is important to be aware of what are the 9 Code of Ethics for Nurses. There are nine main provisions to follow for successful performance and professional development. Briefly, each of the provisions can be described as follows:

A nurse must respect the dignity of every person and treat the individual with compassion.
The nurse’s primary focus should be on the patient. The patient refers to a single person, family, or social group.
The nurse should advocate and promote the patient’s right to quality health care.
The nurse must provide care according to all regulations and capabilities to provide the best care.
The nurse is accountable to patients and self by being an example of health promotion and professional growth.
Through their efforts, the nurses shall promote an ethical environment and improve working conditions and healthcare.
The nurse in any position shall promote the profession and enhance its public status.
The nurse should cooperate with fellow healthcare and social professionals to enhance service quality and minimize health disparities.
The nurses themselves and collectively, through their organization, should shape and develop nursing values and integrate them into the overall healthcare system.

Provision 9 of the regulation is worth mentioning separately, as it has a broad interpretation. In general, this provision of the Code of Ethics Nursing means that workers should organize groups and meet in committees. These meetings unite nurses to fight more effectively for social justice and improve national health policy in the country.

How Can Code of Ethics for Nursing Help Shape Good Nurses

Knowledge of theory, the ability to perform procedures, and the capability to meet people’s needs in care are the primary skills needed to becoming a nurse . Internships and lectures help hone specialized skills. Regarding patient communication and related soft skills, a significant part of being a nurse is having an excellent knowledge of the code of ethics in nursing and the ability to apply its principles to practice.

Knowing nursing ethics helps maintain high standards of the profession and moral principles in work. This increases trust and respect for the profession. A set of ethical rules is a reliable guide to navigating specialists in complex ethical dilemmas. These rules help resolve problems based on justice, fairness, and respect for human dignity. The study of ethical principles helps healthcare workers develop themselves. Through self-reflection and understanding of patients’ needs, the overall level of care delivery increases.

In Conclusion

The Nursing Code of Ethics, in its current form, has helped nurses worldwide maintain high ethical standards in patient care for over 70 years. This regulation has made the nursing profession one of the most respected in society. Learning the code of ethics is a crucial part of becoming every nurse. It is essential to realize this and not treat this manual as just another nursing training course. Knowing and following these rules will help you become better for yourself, your patients, and your community.

importance of code of ethics in nursing essay

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In the realm of healthcare, integrity is a pillar that upholds the trust between patients and healthcare professionals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of nursing, where integrity serves as the bedrock of ethical [...]

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With interpretive statements, what is the nursing code of ethics.

The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (The Code) was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. In an effort to provide easy access to The Code, we are providing "view only" access, not only for ANA members, but for all nurses and the public.

Also, in recognition of the impact ethical practice has on patient safety and the quality of care, ANA has designated 2015 as the "Year of Ethics," highlighted by the release of a revised code of ethics for the profession. We will have a plethora of new programs and products to help increase your awareness and integration of The Code into your everyday practice.

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Code of Ethics in Nursing Importance

Code of Ethics in Nursing -Nursing is a noble profession that requires a high level of commitment, dedication, and compassion toward patients. As a nurse, you are responsible for providing care that is not only safe and effective but also ethical and respectful of patients’ rights and dignity. Therefore, the nursing profession has established a code of ethics that guides nurses in their practice and helps them make ethical decisions in various situations. In this article, we will discuss the importance of the code of ethics in nursing and how it helps nurses provide patient -centered care.

Table of Contents

What is a Code of Ethics in Nursing?

A code of ethics is a set of guidelines that outlines the ethical principles and values that govern a particular profession. The nursing code of ethics is a formal statement of the ethical values, principles, and duties that guide the nursing profession. It provides guidance for nurses in ethical decision-making and helps them uphold their professional responsibilities towards patients, colleagues, and society.

The Importance of a Code of Ethics in Nursing

The nursing profession is built on the foundation of professionalism, trust, and respect for patient’s rights and dignity. The code of ethics in nursing helps nurses uphold these values and maintain a high standard of practice. Here are some reasons why the code of ethics is essential in nursing:

Ensuring Patient-Centered Care

The primary goal of nursing is to promote the health and well-being of patients. The code of ethics in nursing emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care, which means that the patient’s needs, preferences, and values should be the focus of the care provided. Nurses are expected to prioritize the patient’s safety, comfort, and well-being while respecting their autonomy and dignity.

Upholding Professionalism

Professionalism is a critical aspect of nursing practice. The code of ethics in nursing outlines the professional standards that nurses must adhere to, such as maintaining confidentiality, providing unbiased care, and being accountable for their actions. Professionalism is essential in building trust between nurses and patients, which is crucial for effective communication, collaboration, and patient satisfaction.

Promoting Ethical Decision-Making

Nurses encounter various ethical dilemmas and situations in their practice, such as end-of-life care, informed consent, and confidentiality. The code of ethics in nursing provides guidance for nurses to make ethical decisions that are in the best interest of the patient and align with the nursing profession’s values and principles. Nurses are expected to assess the situation, gather relevant information, and make informed decisions that prioritize the patient’s needs and well-being.

Fostering Professional Development

The nursing profession is continuously evolving, and nurses are expected to keep up with the latest advancements and best practices in their field. The code of ethics in nursing emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning, professional development, and critical thinking. Nurses are encouraged to pursue educational opportunities, engage in reflective practice, and seek feedback from colleagues to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competence.

Significance of Studying Ethics in Nursing

In any professional setting or work environment, there are certain ways that are accepted by the professional body and so is true in nursing too. It is important to study ethics in nursing because:

The goal of nursing is to provide care to people with respect and dignity.
Nurses work with human beings and human beings are the central focus.
Professional nurses accept the responsibility for making decisions and taking action regarding health and illness. For example, a nurse feels her best judgment is what the patient needs and not what the patient wants to do.
Nurses work in a variety of settings and assume various roles that require interaction with clients, family, and team members.
The nurse may come across various conflicting situations while working in hospitals and communities, where knowledge of ethics will help her/him to resolve the issues.
Knowledge of ethics enables the nurse to make decisions as per the situation.
Knowledge of learning about ethics helps the nurse to understand this accountability toward care provided to the patient.

Ethical Principles and Values in the Code of Ethics

The code of ethics in nursing is based on four fundamental ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. These principles guide nurses in their practice and decision-making and help them provide ethical and patient-centered care. Here’s a brief overview of these principles:

Autonomy refers to the patient’s right to make decisions about their care and treatment. Nurses should respect the patient’s autonomy and involve them in the decision-making process as much as possible. This principle also emphasizes the importance of informed consent, where the patient understands the risks and benefits of a particular treatment or procedure before making a decision.

Beneficence

Beneficence refers to the nurse’s duty to do good and promote the patient’s well-being.It involves taking actions that are intended to benefit others, prevent harm, and promote their welfare. Beneficence is often considered as one of the fundamental principles in medical ethics, where healthcare providers are expected to act in the best interest of their patients and promote their health and well-being. In other fields, such as business and social work, beneficence may refer to the ethical responsibility to act in ways that promote the best interests of clients, customers, or stakeholders.

Non-maleficence

Non-maleficence means that nurses should not cause harm to the patient and should prevent harm whenever possible. This principle also includes the obligation to report any errors, mistakes, or incidents that could harm the patient’s safety.

Justice refers to the fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and services. Nurses should advocate for their patients’ access to healthcare, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, gender, or other factors.

Applying the Code of Ethics in Nursing Practice

The code of ethics in nursing is not just a set of guidelines but also a framework for ethical decision-making in various situations. Nurses encounter ethical dilemmas that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical reasoning. Here are some examples of how nurses can apply the code of ethics in their practice:

Informed Consent

When obtaining informed consent from a patient, nurses should ensure that the patient understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives to the treatment or procedure. They should also respect the patient’s decision-making capacity and involve them in the decision-making process as much as possible.

End-of-Life Care

Nurses play a crucial role in end-of-life care and should respect the patient’s wishes and values. The code of ethics in nursing emphasizes the importance of providing compassionate care, managing pain and symptoms, and promoting the patient’s comfort and dignity.

Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is a critical aspect of nursing practice. Nurses should ensure that the patient’s personal and medical information is kept confidential, except when required by law or for the patient’s safety.

Nurses are advocates for their patients and should speak up when they notice potential harm or injustice. They should also advocate for their patients’ rights, preferences, and values, and ensure that their needs are met.

In conclusion, the Code of Ethics in Nursing is a crucial document that outlines the ethical standards and expectations for the professional practice of nursing. The Code provides guidance for nurses to ensure they provide safe, ethical, and compassionate care to patients and clients. Upholding the Code is the responsibility of nurses, and violations of the Code may result in disciplinary action and damage to a nurse’s professional reputation. Overall, the Code of Ethics in Nursing is an essential tool for promoting ethical and responsible nursing practice.

FAQ- Code of Ethics in Nursing

Who is responsible for upholding the code of ethics in nursing.

Nurses are responsible for upholding the Code of Ethics in Nursing. The Code is considered a standard of practice and nurses are expected to use it as a guide for ethical decision-making and conduct in their practice. Professional nursing organizations also have a role in promoting and upholding the Code of Ethics in Nursing.

What happens if a nurse violates the Code of Ethics in Nursing?

If a nurse violates the Code of Ethics in Nursing, they may face disciplinary action from their state board of nursing, as well as consequences from their employer. The severity of the consequences will depend on the nature and extent of the violation. Additionally, a violation of the Code of Ethics may damage a nurse’s professional reputation and credibility.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and should not substitute professional medical advice.

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The Code of Ethics in Nursing

Nursing, like other professionals, has set up values, ethical principles, and standards to which they aspire to act and can be judged. Ethical behavior results from nurses’ commitment to acting ethically. Ethical codes are adopted so that professionals differentiate right and wrong and know their expectations. They can apply understanding in their decisions. A code of ethics will guide nurses in conducting their functions honestly and with integrity. The Code of ethics encompasses the best professional practice in nursing. Contravening the Code of ethics in nursing results in professional disciplinary actions, which may even mean termination. According to American Nurses Association, standards of practice for registered nurses are responsibilities they are supposed to perform. The execution of these responsibilities is supposed to be done competently. In collaboration with standards of nursing practice, ethical practices bring out the nursing professional identity.

Importance of Code of Ethics

Nurses have been ranked the most ethical profession in the United States every year, besides one since 1999. Most years, nurses are way ahead of all other disciplines by point count. Due to ethical codes that arise from systematic guidelines, nurses have been shaped to a desired ethical behavior. Ethics in nursing offers a framework that helps them ensure the safety and well-being of patients and other healthcare providers. ANA’s Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements is the nationally accepted guide called The Code. The Code of ethics establishes the ethical standards in the nursing profession and guides in ethical analysis and decision-making (ANA, 2015).

In the healthcare setup, ethical values are paramount to every healthcare provider. Nurses, however, require ethical principles since they are patient caregivers. There are four main ethical principles in nursing: autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence. These are daily nursing practices that nurses should be aware of to ensure safe, best, and most humane care to all patients. Most states in the US have included the ANA’s Code of ethics in their practice statement not only to be ethics related but also to provide legal implications. Continued revision is done regularly due to the importance of the Code to the nursing profession.

Nursing principles of ethics make them patients advocates. As patient advocates, nurses ensure every patient has the right to self-determination and decision-making. Patient education, medical information, and an explanation of available treatment options are done. Patients are then allowed to make an informed choice after explaining all potential risks, complications, and benefits. Ethical factors influencing patient acceptance of treatment, like age, culture, gender, social support, and sexual orientation, should be carefully thought through (Landis et al, 2020).

Ethically nurses should act for the good welfare of the patient. According to ANA, nurses should be kind and charitable. It is a nursing attribute to be compassionate. Fairness is paramount in all nursing and medical decisions. All patients should receive the same level of care despite individual financial status, social status, race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. Nurses are ethically bound not to harm any patient. Patient harm may come; as a result, intervention and care or lack of it. Nurses are ethically bound to choose interventions and care that cause the least harm to the patient or the community and report treatment options that cause harm.

ANA Standards of Practice for RN Licensure

American Nursing Association has developed standards of nursing practice to ensure excellent nursing practices. A registered nurse should perform their functions responsibly and competently. The nursing care process involves assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, follow-up, and evaluation which is the basis of standards of practice. Registered nurses collect essential patient information. Comprehensive analysis of data collected on assessment is vital to ensure all patient needs are met and he is served in a dignified manner. Analysis determines the diagnosis and possible problems and challenges that might arise. From this, potential outcomes are identified, and the plan is individualized. The identified care plan is implemented through strategies to help attain expected results. Implementation of the care plan is supposed to be holistic, systematic, effective, timely, and patient-centered by ensuring its multidisciplinary team. Performance should be evidence-based, equitable, and efficient manner. After implementing patient care, the registered nurse should evaluate patient care continuously using the set outcome expectations. For nurses to achieve the level of the competencies mentioned above, they must complete a postsecondary training program to licensure to practice. They are also required to complete an associate degree in nursing from an accredited nursing institution to register for NCLEX-RN

The Code of ethics in nursing addresses the core values expected by a nurse as they perform their functions. The nursing profession’s Code of conduct creates the nursing professional identity. The Code of Ethics outlines four ethical principles that nurses should employ in patient care and management. These principles guide nurses in their decision-making. They are autonomy, recognizing patients’ rights and self-determination; beneficence; acting for the good and welfare of the patient; justice; fairness, and nonmaleficence, focusing on not harming the patient (Duquesne University, 2020). The codes of ethics help shape the quality of patient care by being non-negotiable. Standards of care emphasize every nurse’s expectations regarding competence and professionalism (Landis et al, 2020. The basis of the standard of care is the nursing care process. Patient care should be safe, efficient, timely, and patient-centered. Through continued individual and collective efforts by the nurse, advances in the standards of care are made through safe, quality, and conducive healthcare. Advances through scholarly inquiry, professional development, and health policy development help improve standards of practice.

Landis, T. T., Severtsen, B. M., Shaw, M. R., & Holliday, C. E. (2020, July). Professional identity and hospital‐based registered nurses: A phenomenological study. In Nursing forum (Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 389-394). https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12440

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only

Duquesne University: School of Nursing (2020). Ethical principles in nursing: Tips for nurse leaders in promoting ethical practice. https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/blog/ethical- principles-in-nursing/

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The Importance of Code of Ethics in Nursing: Virtue Ethics and Beneficenc

How it works

1 The Importance of Virtue Ethics and Beneficence in Nursing
2 Ethical Theory
3 Ethical Principle
4 Ethical Principles and Confidentiality
5 Application to Course Content
6 Conclusion

The Importance of Virtue Ethics and Beneficence in Nursing

It is often said that it takes a certain kind of person to become a nurse. They must be well-rounded, flexible, and ready for anything. A day in the life of a nurse is filled with critical thinking, tough conversations, moral dilemmas, and the selfless act of caring for others. Virtue ethics is a way of living that focuses on developing good character traits and always doing what the person believes to be good (Hursthouse, Pettigrove, 2018).

Beneficence is the ethical principle of doing or producing good, performing acts of kindness and charity (Merriam-Webster, 2020). These ways of living are important in nursing, as well as in living a fulfilling life.

Ethical Theory

Virtue Ethics is a way of life that focuses on the character and quality of a person rather than the choices they make. It is not only a way of living but a feeling that a person has when they know they are doing good things. This is an important quality in a nurse. Nurses are constantly faced with difficult situations. They may have to deliver tough news to a patient or their family or diffuse a tense situation when a patient may be upset. It is important for nurses to stay calm and level-headed. They should diffuse the situation with patience, courage, and grace. This is a harmonious way of living that can be learned from observing others and practiced within.

Ethical Principle

Beneficence is the principle of doing good things for others, which is a common quality of a nurse. It can be assumed that one of the reasons someone would want to become a nurse is due to the fact they want to help others. Generally, nurses look out for the best interest of their patients. However, there may be instances where the nurse may feel they are doing good but not be doing what is best for the patient. An example of this could be an older patient who is in kidney failure. Naturally, the nurse would encourage the patient to start dialysis, although the patient may not feel they have the strength or desire to start dialysis. The nurse could be doing what they think is the good thing to do when it could be causing more stress to the patient.

Ethical Principles and Confidentiality

A large part of nursing is obtaining patients’ personal health information in order to help diagnose and achieve the best outcome for the patient. This information is confidential and should only be used and shared when communicating with other members of the healthcare team that will also be caring for the patient. These discussions should occur in a private area where it is unlikely the conversation will be overheard (Cheever, Hinkle, 2014. Pg.29), and the information relayed should be minimized to pertinent information only. A common situation that may arise is if the nurse and patient have a common acquaintance, say a neighbor or a friend. The acquaintance may ask the nurse how the patient is doing. Giving them information on the patient would compromise confidentiality. This would also compromise the ethical principle of autonomy, the patient’s right to make one’s own decisions because the patient did not consent for their information to be given to this person.

Application to Course Content

This course has discussed professional nursing organizations, the nurse’s role as a political advocate, the nurse as a learner and teacher, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, and thoughts on caring. These are all important aspects of nursing, helping to create a well-balanced nurse. Involvement in these areas also enhances virtue, ethics, and beneficence. Virtue can be learned from watching others, emulating their behavior, and striving to find the perfect balance of kindness, courage, and patience. Caring is the basis of nursing; to be a caring person is to also act with beneficence.

It takes a well-rounded, caring person to be a good nurse. Virtue ethics is a perfect example of how a nurse should live their life and career. Also, living with beneficence, constantly doing good for others even in the toughest times. Not only doing what you think is good but what is best for the person you are caring for. Keeping pertinent medical information confidential, even from friends or family members. It is important for nurses to strive for that perfect balance in everything they are and everything they do. Always improve oneself and never settle for mediocrity in anything in life.

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7 Main Ethical Principles in Nursing + Why They’re Important

Are you a nurse with a genuine desire to give the best care possible to patients and their families and to become a strong member of your nursing team? Maybe you are a nursing student eager to learn as much as possible to help you succeed in nursing. If so, the most important lesson you can learn is how to establish ethical nursing practices. There are several ways to demonstrate strong ethics, and knowing the main ethical principles of nursing is a great place to start. Perhaps you are wondering, "What are the 7 main ethical principles in nursing, and why they are important?” In this article, you will learn about ethical nursing principles and how they apply to you. As you continue reading, you will find an in-depth look at the 7 main ethical principles in nursing, why they’re important, and examples of how they are applied in the four main areas of nursing.

What Exactly is an Ethical Principle in Nursing?

What is the source of ethical principles in nursing, 7 reasons why ethical principles are so important in nursing, how many ethical principles are there in nursing.

1. Accountability 2. Justice 3. Nonmaleficence 4. Autonomy 5. Beneficence 6. Fidelity 7. Veracity

Are There any Conflicting Ethical Principles in Nursing?

What are the 7 main ethical principles in nursing and why they are important.

Per the , professional accountability, one of the important ethical principles in nursing is defined as "being answerable to oneself and others for one's own actions." Nurses are accountable for their actions when caring for patients and must accept the personal and professional consequences of those actions or any inactions.

The following is detailed information about why accountability is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Establishing an atmosphere of accountability in nursing is every nurse's responsibility. There are several key reasons being an accountable nurse is essential, including the following.

When nurses practice accountability, they build stronger nurse-patient relationships based on increased trust and reduced fear.

Accountable nurses demonstrate higher quality job performance, which benefits patients, peers, organizations, and the profession.

Nurses who act with a high level of accountability are more likely to succeed in their roles. As a nurse, if you take personal responsibility for your actions, right or wrong, employers and peers appreciate you and your efforts, increasing your chance for success.

The best way to demonstrate accountability in nursing is to stay within your designated Scope of Practice. The scope of practice describes the care and services a qualified health professional is competent to perform and permitted to accept within the terms of their professional license. Each state's legislature passes a "Nurse Practice Act." Regulatory bodies then create and implement the rules and regulations of the nurse practice act intended to protect the nurse and the public.

Nurse Vicky, RN and charge nurse at a local hospital, completed an admission assessment on a newly admitted patient, Mr. Hendrix. Following the admission assessment, Nurse Vicky created a nursing care plan specific to Mr. Hendrix, including establishing which tasks the licensed practical/vocational nurse will complete. Although she delegates the patient's routine care to the LPN/LVN, Nurse Vicky realizes she is responsible for ensuring Mr. Hendrix is cared for within the boundaries of the patient care plan. She follows up with Mr. Hendrix by performing assessments as needed and ensuring all delegated tasks are completed promptly and efficiently.

Lack of accountability in nursing can result in significant consequences. Nurses must understand their roles and perform within their scope of practice to prevent risks to patients, themselves, and their organization. The following are a few examples of the far-reaching consequences of nurses failing to be accountable.

Patients expect nurses to provide quality, professional care to promote their well-being and improve their health. Nurses who do not demonstrate accountability lack professional responsibility, leading to distrust from patients and their loved ones. The lack of trust can compromise nurse-patient relationships, leading to a risk of non-compliance and resulting in negative patient outcomes.

Depending on the level of unaccountability, nurses could face a reprimand from management or risk losing their jobs.

Serious cases of lack of accountability resulting in patient harm may lead to disciplinary action through the state board of nursing or loss of licensure.

Accountability in nursing leadership is instrumental in establishing strong nursing teams, promoting positive patient outcomes, and contributing to the success of the healthcare facility or organization. The following are a few reasons why nurse leaders should demonstrate accountability.

Effective nurse leaders lead by example. If a nurse leader is accountable for her actions, the likelihood of the nurses on the team being accountable increases.

The behavior of accountable nurse leaders positively impacts employee morale, making teams happier and more content with their jobs.

The best way to ensure accountability among nursing teams is for nurse leaders to model accountability in their behaviors and practices. Nurse leaders are accountable for their actions and the actions of their nursing team. At times, accountability in nurse leadership involves assessing a situation, delegating responsibilities, and following up to ensure work is complete.

Nurse Kristy is the charge nurse in a busy emergency department with a team of registered nurses under her supervision. After a multi-car pileup on the interstate, several crash victims came to her emergency room for care. Nurse Kristy assigned additional nurses to work triage to determine which patients require immediate care. She also distributes nurses for each area of care in the emergency department, carefully following the nurse-to-patient ratio as designated by the hospital policies and procedures. Nurse Kristy monitors the status of patient flow, ensures supply cabinets are stocked to accommodate the needs of all patients, including those in the car crash, and offers assistance as needed.

In this scenario, the charge nurse demonstrates accountability by making sure the staff she supervises have appropriate supplies, patients are triaged and treated in a timely manner, and offering her assistance.

Nurse leaders play an integral role in developing strong teams. Positive leadership behaviors lead to favorable outcomes. Conversely, poor leadership behaviors lead to unfavorable outcomes. If nurse leaders fail to demonstrate the ethical principle of accountability, subordinate nurses are likely to follow their behavior, leading to negative consequences like the ones listed below.

When leadership lacks essential ethical principles, it doesn't take long to see a breakdown in the team's structure.

Lack of accountability not only affects professional relationships but it can also affect patient outcomes. Nurse leaders who lack accountability rarely demand it from their teams, which impacts patient care, leading to poor health outcomes.

The old saying, "the buck stops here," could be taken quite literally when discussing the ethical principle of accountability. Nurse leaders are responsible for how their teams perform, and when they lack the accountability true leadership demands, errors in care occur more often, leading to increased healthcare costs.

There are three main types of nurse educators:

Instructional nurse faculty teach nursing students in academic settings such as colleges or universities.

Clinical nurse educators typically work in hospitals or other healthcare facilities, helping nurses gain hands-on experience as they learn facility processes and best practices. CNEs also teach staff nurses about new policies and procedures and may educate nurses about new equipment.

Staff development nurses train nursing staff in new roles and provide ongoing mentorship and training to help nurses enhance their skills. All nurse educators play a vital role in healthcare and promoting ethical principles in nursing.

The following are a few reasons nurse educators must exercise accountability in their practice.

Nurse educators bear significant responsibility for educating current and future nurses. Demonstrating accountability shows other nurses the importance of accepting responsibility for their own behavior.

Nurse educators are influential in advocating for change in nursing education in higher institutions of learning and within healthcare organizations. Acting with professional accountability makes their efforts more appealing to decision- and policymakers, as those who make vital nursing and healthcare decisions desire to work with nurses they can depend on.

Nurse educators are obligated to provide the education and tools nurses, and nursing students need to become better nurses, which impacts patients, their families, healthcare facilities, and the nursing profession.

Mrs. Stennett is the clinical nurse educator at a large university hospital. Part of her job description includes having the responsibility to update staff nurses about new policies and procedures within the organization. The administration recently approved new guidelines for reporting errors related to patient care. In response to the updates, Mrs. Stennett scheduled four in-service meetings to accommodate nursing staff and update them on the new policies and procedures. At each in-service, the staff in attendance sign the attendance log to verify their presence. Mrs. Stennett logs information about the in-service in her activity logbook and attaches each sign-in sheet.

Although Mrs. Stennett could have conducted the in-service and expected administration or state surveyors to take her word that the staff was aware of policy changes, she understands the importance of being accountable for her own work. By logging information about the in-services and attaching sign-in sheets, Mrs. Stennett protects herself. Suppose a staff member acts outside the scope of the new policies and procedures but attended the in-service. In that case, Mrs. Stennett can show the sign-in sheet to her supervisor, removing any risk of repercussion due to the other staff member's actions.

The lack of accountability in any nursing position can have dire consequences. In nursing education, the lack of ethical principles like accountability can have significant long-term effects. Here are a few things to consider about the lack of accountability in nursing education.

If nurse educators lack accountability, the nursing students they teach are likely to conduct themselves with a lack of accountability, as well. This blatant lack of accountability can result in shifting blame, poor patient care, and negative patient outcomes.

Nurse educators working in healthcare facilities or for healthcare organizations are responsible for ensuring staff nurses get adequate hands-on training to help develop the skills necessary to provide adequate care. Failure to demonstrate accountability in this example could mean staff nurses are poorly prepared to take on patients and provide independent care, which could result in errors in care and other safety issues.

Nurse researchers are at the forefront of clinical efforts to find new treatments and improve patient care. It is of utmost importance for nurse researchers to be accountable in their practices. Here are a few reasons why:

The results of nursing research are instrumental in determining future steps in patient care. Nurses must be accountable for conducting research according to the plan so results can be validated.

When nurse researchers demonstrate accountability, investors and other funding sources have confidence in their intentions, making it easier for them to offer financial resources to support research.

Nurse researchers are accountable to themselves, their team, study participants, supporting organizations, and financial contributors, to name a few. One of the best ways to demonstrate accountability in nursing research is to use resources for their intended use.

Nurse Researcher Ava is working on a research project with a group of colleagues. After securing their project's funding, Nurse Ava and her team realize they may have a significant amount of the funds remaining when the project is complete. Some colleagues suggest moving the extra money to another project, stating that since the money was for a research grant, it shouldn't be a problem. However, Nurse Ava objects to the suggestion arguing that the funds they received were designated for a specific project. She recommends completing the research project and then assessing how much, if any, of the funds remain available. She also suggests if funds are still available, the team should notify the grantor and request permission to use the funds toward another project.

When nurses act outside the boundaries of ethical principles and behaviors, it can lead to several consequences, of which some may be severe. Here are a few possible consequences of lack of accountability in nursing research.

If nurse researchers do not act with accountability in nursing research, they may be viewed as unreliable or untrustworthy and lose future research opportunities.

Money designated for research projects must be used to achieve the purpose for which it is granted. When nurse researchers do not handle financial contributions within the guidelines of the research proposal and outline, they may be forced to repay the misused money.

is another one of the essential ethical principles in nursing. It refers to a nurse's ability to act according to their knowledge and judgment while providing nursing care within their scope of practice. The full scope of one's nursing practice is defined by existing regulatory, organizational, and professional rules.

The following is detailed information about why Autonomy is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Autonomy is essential in all aspects of nursing practice. This vital ethical nursing principle goes hand-in-hand with the principle of accountability. The following are a few reasons why autonomy is important in nursing practice.

Autonomy helps nurses strengthen their critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Nurses who practice with autonomy typically have more confidence and freedom to make critical patient care decisions.

Any time a nurse acts within their scope of practice and knowledge to perform a patient care task independently, this is considered an act of autonomy in nursing practice. Nurses can demonstrate autonomy by administering PRN medications, delegating tasks to appropriate personnel, and checking vital signs when a patient's condition concerns them.

Mr. Phillips is a patient at Mercy Hospital, where Nurse William is his primary nurse. Upon entering Mr. Phillips' room to give routine medications, Nurse William observes that Mr. Phillips is pale, diaphoretic, and complaining of dizziness. Nurse William checks Mr. Phillips' vital signs, finding his blood pressure is extremely low. Nurse William holds Mr. Phillips' medications, including an antihypertensive, notifying the physician of Mr. Phillips' current status and continues monitoring the patient until the doctor responds with new orders.

Autonomy is one of the nursing ethical principles that often directly affects the nurse's outlook on their job. Lack of autonomy can significantly impact the way nurses relate to others and how they feel their employers feel about them. The following are a few consequences of lack of autonomy in nursing practice.

Nurses who experience a lack of autonomy, whether it is related to their choice not to exercise autonomy or because of employer restrictions, experience burnout at a much higher rate than nurses who have higher levels of autonomy.

The absence of autonomy in nursing often leaves nurses feeling their knowledge and skills underappreciated. Unfortunately, this can lead to patient care that lacks the personal approach needed to establish solid nurse-patient relationships.

Autonomy in nursing leadership gives leaders the authority to enrich nursing practices within their teams and organization. Nurse leaders who demonstrate autonomy contribute their unique nursing knowledge and experiences, helping to strengthen the profession and positively impact patient outcomes.

Nurse leaders make autonomous decisions daily. A few ways nurse leaders act with autonomy include collaborating with staff to develop nursing care plans, delegating assignments to staff nurses, implementing emergency measures according to policies and procedures, and handling conflicts within their team.

Nurse Mitchell is the Assistant Director of Nursing at Magnolia Long-Term Care Facility. It has been brought to his attention that staff nurses on the west wing are unhappy with their assignments. Nurse Mitchell meets with the nurses to discuss their concerns and possible resolutions. He explains to the nurses that the team's primary concern is patient-centered teamwork and the delivery of high-quality care. After meeting with the nurses and determining which nurses are better suited to care for specific patients, Nurse Mitchell updates and distributes new nursing assignments.

Nurse Mitchell exercised the principle of autonomy by initiating communication with the nursing team and trying to find ways to resolve their issues and concerns. He was not required to change the assignments. However, his willingness to listen to his staff and adjust assignments with patient care at the center of his decisions shows genuine concern for his staff as well as the patients, which promotes employee satisfaction and retention.

Strong nursing teams require strong nursing leadership. Nurse leaders must understand the importance of their role and how their leadership impacts teams and patient care. The following are a few examples of what could happen if there is a lack of autonomy in nurse leadership.

Nurse leaders set the tone for how teams collaborate. If they fail to exercise authority in decision-making and establishing means of effective, respectful communication, it could result in poor collaborative efforts, negatively impacting patient outcomes, interdisciplinary relationships, and organizational order.

One of the primary responsibilities of nurse leaders is to manage nursing teams. Some of their activities include creating work schedules, managing staffing issues, and supporting continuing education within their facilities. If nurse leaders fail to implement autonomy within their roles, important decisions may be overlooked, resulting in poor team management and impacting patient and organizational outcomes.

Nurse educators impact nursing students and current nurses on many levels. Implementing the ethical principle of autonomy in nursing education is vital for several reasons, including the following.

Nursing Students Learn Autonomy by Their Educators’ Example: Nurse educators teach nursing students how to conduct themselves in practice. They teach the ethical principles of nursing, including autonomy, in theory, and then demonstrate them in clinical settings.

Autonomy in Nursing Education Promotes Independence While Supporting Teamwork: Although nurse educators work with a level of independence or autonomy, their actions impact everyone on the nursing team. Nurses and nursing students observe how nurse educators handle situations and learn to engage in the same behaviors in nursing care.

Nurse educators apply autonomy in several ways. Whether they establish class schedules, assign clinical rotations, or arrange for continuing education classes for staff at healthcare facilities, applying autonomy in nursing education is essential.

Mrs. Williams is a nurse educator working at a local university school of nursing. She primarily works with fourth-year students. Her students are preparing for final clinical skills exams, including demonstrating their ability to make sound clinical judgments and work independently. Mrs. Williams creates clinical lesson plans and schedules assignments for each student. She also works with nursing leadership at various clinical sites to arrange preceptors for students.

Mrs. Williams' ability to work independently and oversee nursing students is an example of practicing autonomy in nursing education. The students who accept assignments and work within their scope of practice as nursing students also practice autonomy, within designated guidelines.

Nursing education is multi-faceted, requiring independent decision-making and critical thinking skills. A lack of autonomy in nursing education could result in the following consequences.

Nurse educators are responsible for arranging clinical contracts and assignments for students. Although the director of nursing may approve or assist with procuring contracts, most instructors have some level of freedom to choose sites where they prefer to work and train students. If nurse educators fail to act responsibly and independently to arrange clinical training sites and assignments, nursing students may not have adequate experiences to meet the requirements for graduation or to sit for the licensure examination.

Nurse educators independently prepare a syllabus, and schedule quizzes, tests, and laboratory intensives for each class they teach. If they do not exercise their authority to establish class guidelines and schedules, lessons and classroom experiences become poorly structured, and student success suffers.

Autonomy in nursing research relates to the researcher and study participants alike. Nurse researchers make autonomous decisions throughout the course of a study based on study guidelines. They must also respect the autonomy of participants or prospective participants to decide whether to be involved in the research study.

Recognizing the participant's right to autonomy and respecting their decisions helps ensure willing participation in studies. This is vital, as coercion or manipulation of a potential participant to encourage participation in a study is unethical.

Nurse researchers must develop an understanding of autonomy and how to apply this ethical nursing principle in nursing research.

Nurse Holyfield is responsible for collecting and reviewing surveys from research participant applicants and presenting suitable candidates to her research team. She independently reviews each application and makes notes about the applicants. Nurse Holyfield then schedules interviews with the top prospects from the applicant pool. She provides each applicant with detailed information about the research project, the expected outcomes, and an explanation of the participant's role in the study. Nurse Holyfield gives each applicant the opportunity to ask questions about the study and consider if they wish to continue with the application process.

In this example, Nurse Holyfield demonstrates autonomy in two ways. First, she acts independently to review applications and interview applicants. She then promotes the individual autonomy of the applicants by providing them with pertinent information so they can make an informed decision about participation in the study.

When there is a lack of autonomy in nursing research, the consequences may affect the study, persons conducting the study, and participants negatively. Here are a few examples.

If nurse researchers fail to contribute to the autonomy of study participants or applicants, that means they fail to adhere to the patient/participant’s rights. Violating ethical principles related to one’s right to autonomy can be grounds for disciplinary action, loss of job, or cancellation of a research project.

Nursing research involves teams of people working together for an end cause. Typically, team members have individual responsibilities related to the project. Although they work together, if one member fails to demonstrate autonomy or perform their work, it can result in work not being completed and compromise the validity of the research study.

Beneficence, another one of the important ethical principles in nursing is defined as charity and kindness and is demonstrated by nursing actions that benefit others. The ethical principle of beneficence is a quality requiring nurses to act with genuine care, concern, and generosity regarding the welfare of others, acting with the best interest of patients in mind, regardless of the nurse's personal opinion or self-interest.

The following is detailed information about why Beneficence is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Beneficence is vital to effective nursing practice. The following are a few reasons why beneficence in nursing practice is important.

Beneficence in nursing practice ensures the nurse considers the individual circumstances of each patient, recognizing that what is good or helpful for one patient may not be the best option for another.

The principle of beneficence requires nurses to provide nursing care to the best of their ability, which promotes positive patient outcomes.

Nurses apply beneficence in practice in several ways. The most common acts of beneficence involve simple acts of kindness, such as holding a patient's hand, offering to sit with a loved one, or ensuring privacy for patients and loved ones as they say their final goodbyes.

Mr. Douglas, whose wife has stage IV breast cancer, just learned his wife's condition has worsened. She is not responding to verbal commands and has little response to tactile stimulation. The doctors have advised Mr. Douglas all they can do for Mrs. Douglas at this time is to help make her comfortable. Mr. Douglas is visibly shaken. Nurse Leah demonstrates beneficence when she offers to sit with Mr. Douglas for a while, holding his hand and letting him talk. At the appropriate time, Nurse Leah asks Mr. Douglas if there is anyone he would like for her to call to be with him and his wife, stating she wants to help as much as possible so he can spend time at his wife’s bedside.

Because the principle of beneficence is based upon promoting the welfare of others, a lack of beneficence can be counterproductive, resulting in profound consequences.

If nurses fail to promote the best interest of patients, the risk of safety issues increases. Safety events may include , not using the most appropriate equipment, or failure to chart vital information.

Patients want to know the nurses caring for them have their best interest in mind and can typically determine if they do by the nurse's behavior toward them. When nurses do not demonstrate beneficence in practice, it can create a strain on the nurse-patient relationship. Unfortunately, poor nurse-patient relationships tend to have a snowball effect, resulting in a lack of compliance on the patient's part and a risk of poor patient outcomes.

Nurse leaders should strive to demonstrate beneficence in every aspect of their roles. The following are a few reasons why beneficence in nursing leadership is important.

Nurse leaders who practice beneficence support efforts to not only improve patient care but also work to ensure safe work environments with leadership support for staff nurses. When nurses feel safe and supported, they are typically happier with their jobs which improves job performance and employee satisfaction rates. It also contributes to higher employee retention rates.

Beneficence reflects the nurse leader's ability to contribute to the welfare of patients, staff, and organizations. As nurse leaders act with beneficence, everyone within their leadership grasp is positively influenced and benefits from their ethical behavior.

Beneficence in nurse leadership may be a simple act, or it could require a nurse leader to step out of their comfort zone to get things done that benefit patients and staff.

Nurse Mark works in a small community hospital and is the nurse leader in the surgical unit. Despite nurses on his team making maintenance requests, some equipment on the unit needs repair. Nurse Mark also contacted maintenance and received no response. He understands the maintenance department is busy, but he also realizes patient and staff safety is his priority. Because requests for maintenance have been overlooked, Nurse Mark contacts the nursing supervisor and asks if the supervisor will contact the maintenance supervisor for assistance.

In this example, Nurse Mark followed the chain of command, which is a good leadership quality. He made the safety of the patients and staff on the surgical unit a priority and chose to seek help from upper management to help promote the safety and well-being of everyone on his team.

Beneficence is one of the essential ethical principles in nursing. Because beneficence involves promoting the best interests of others, the lack of the principle can have far-reaching, serious consequences. A few examples follow here:

A lack of beneficence in nursing leadership typically leads to a lack of beneficence among all nursing staff, which impacts the level of patient care they provide, often leading to poor outcomes.

Nurses working under the supervision of leaders who have little interest in promoting their welfare or success often feel frustrated or bitter. If the situation is not remedied, it can lead to conflicts between nurses and their leaders. Unresolved conflicts can result in poor employee satisfaction rates and higher employee turnover.

Nurse educators are responsible for teaching student nurses and other nurses, preparing them to provide the best possible nursing care. One of the most important lessons nurse educators can teach students is the principle of beneficence, and the most effective way to teach it is by demonstrating it in action.

• Beneficence in nursing education creates an atmosphere conducive to developing strong bonds between students, nurses, and nurse educators. As bonds strengthen, nursing teams become more effective in providing patient care and improving outcomes for patients and the profession.

• Beneficence in nursing education seeks to promote the greater good of students and staff. As nurse leaders demonstrate beneficence, students and staff learn how to apply this ethical nursing principle.

Nurse educators must demonstrate beneficence on behalf of patients, students, and staff. Sometimes, acting with beneficence means making difficult decisions.

Dr. Jones, DNP, is making rounds at a local hospital where students in her nursing program are involved in clinical rotations. Students have been assigned to work with preceptors in various specialty areas, such as Med-Surg, Labor and Delivery, Emergency, and Pediatrics. As Dr. Jones visits the various stations to check on students, she finds several preceptors have allowed the first-year nursing students to work alone, stating it is the best way for them to learn. The school of nursing policy is that all first-year nursing students must be accompanied by a preceptor or nursing instructor any time hands-on patient care is provided.

The Director of Nursing at the hospital is unavailable to discuss the dilemma, and the charge nurse on the floor reports they are too short-staffed to require preceptors to accompany students. Dr. Jones makes the decision to end the clinical day and instructs students to return to campus tomorrow for an update and possible new assignments.

Dr. Jones acted with beneficence on behalf of the patients, her students, and the hospital staff. Allowing students to continue providing care unsupervised could lead to liability against the school, Dr. Jones, the students, and the hospital.

Nurse educators have a great responsibility to prepare nurses to provide high-quality care focused on improving patient outcomes. Acting with beneficence is critical in nursing education. The lack of beneficence, on the other hand, can also have serious consequences.

Nurse educators who fail to demonstrate beneficence send a message that it may not be necessary to promote the well-being of others at all costs. This is false and can lead to compromised patient outcomes.

Good nurses know the importance of acting with beneficence. When there is a lack of beneficence in nursing education, students and peers alike tend to lose respect for the nurse educator.

The nursing code of conduct emphasizes the need to care for patients, offer beneficial services, and do no harm. The ethical principle of beneficence is as important to nursing research as it is to clinical nursing, nursing leadership, and education. Beneficence requires the nurse researcher to weigh the balance of potential risks and benefits and make judgment calls about beginning, continuing, or stopping research based on that assessment.

Although all principles of ethics in nursing are vital, beneficence is especially important in nursing research. Research should benefit individuals and society. However, no matter how beneficial research is to society, it should never be more important than the safety of patients and participants.

Researchers must place more emphasis on the safety and well-being of research participants than the potential effects the results could have on society.

Nurse Brown is working on a nursing research project involving four participants. At the midpoint of the research project, two participants experience unexpected negative effects. Although the other two participants show no significant changes or complications, the risk to participants at this point seems greater than the potential benefits. Therefore, Nurse Brown consults with her research team and chooses to conclude the study until sufficient data is gathered and a new plan is developed.

Beneficence is perhaps the most important of the ethical principles in nursing research. Beneficence in nursing research operates with the understanding that it is unethical to involve research participants or patients in any type of research that is not expected to demonstrate benefits to patients and/or society. Lack of beneficence on the part of nurse researchers could result in the following consequences.

If it is determined that nursing research is being conducted without the expectation of beneficial results, a research organization could lose funding. Loss of funding may be temporary until the goals and anticipated outcomes are more clearly defined. In some cases, funding may be withdrawn permanently, especially if there is evidence that positive outcomes were never anticipated.

If nurse researchers fail to practice beneficence and patient harm results, the researcher and/or funding party could be sued. It is the responsibility of the person or organization conducting research to inform any participant of any possible risks. When a participant understands the risks of research participation and makes an informed decision to continue, negative consequences are typically not grounds for lawsuits. However, if the nurse researcher fails to inform the participant of known potential risks or performs research out of their scope of practice, resulting in harm, they may be held legally responsible.

Another one of the main ethical principles in nursing is fidelity. Fidelity is the act of being faithful and keeping one's promises. It is demonstrated by offering support and loyalty to a person, cause, or belief.

The following is detailed information about why Fidelity is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Fidelity addresses the nurse’s responsibility to be honest and loyal in their relationships with others. The following are a few reasons fidelity in nursing practice is important.

In nursing practice, fidelity supports fulfilling professional commitments and being trustworthy.

Fidelity in nursing is associated with more positive patient outcomes, increased patient satisfaction scores, and more trusting relationships.

Nurses demonstrate the ethical principle of fidelity by meeting the reasonable expectations of their role and the nursing profession. Simple acts such as following up on medication or treatments or delegating a job to appropriate staff are ways to show fidelity in nursing practice.

Mr. Grayson is a patient at an inpatient rehabilitation center following left knee surgery. Following physical therapy this morning, Mr. Grayson complained of increased pain and asked the nurse for pain medication. Nurse Michaels administered pain-relieving medicine as per the physician's order at 1:20 p.m. and told Mr. Grayson she would check on him in an hour. At 2:15 p.m., Nurse Michaels returned to Mr. Grayson's room to evaluate the effectiveness of the pain medication and verify if he requires any other assistance.

Nurses are in a unique position to create an atmosphere of trust where patients feel safe and cared for and can make this happen by being open and honest and delivering quality patient care. Solid nurse-patient and interprofessional relationships are built upon a foundation of trust and confidence, which are basic characteristics of fidelity. Lack of fidelity in nursing practice can result in serious consequences. Here are a few examples of the consequences of lack of fidelity in nursing practice.

Patients often feel vulnerable and unsure of who they can trust or depend on. Failure to demonstrate fidelity in nursing leaves patients questioning whether the nurse is dedicated to their care or has their best interests at heart, negatively impacting nurse-patient relationships.

When patients feel a lack of trust in their nurses, it leads to non-compliance with treatment plans, which negatively impacts patient outcomes.

Nurse leaders impact every aspect of patient care in every healthcare setting. A few reasons nurse leaders must practice fidelity include the following.

It is no secret that subordinates tend to follow the behavioral patterns of their leaders. Therefore, nurse leaders should strive to create an acceptable model of behavior for other nurses to follow.

When nurse leaders demonstrate fidelity, it helps strengthen relationships with patients, families, team members, and other healthcare professionals.

An excellent way for nurse leaders to show fidelity is to fulfill commitments associated with their role. As nurse leaders fulfill commitments, patients, staff, and interdisciplinary colleagues typically consider them dependable and trustworthy.

Charge Nurse Victoria was recently assigned to lead a nursing team at her hospital. To her surprise, she learned two nurses on her team were classmates and graduated from her nursing class with her.

When making morning rounds, one of the patients asked to speak to Nurse Victoria privately. The patient reported that his nurse did not give his morning medication and that she was rude every time she entered his room. He asked for a new nurse. Nurse Victoria discovered the nurse in question was one of her former classmates. Despite her care for the nurse on her staff, Nurse Victoria was obligated to provide fair patient care in the most responsible way. She discussed the situation with the nurse and stated another nurse would take over the patient's care.

Fidelity in nursing leadership requires leaders to promote competent patient care in the most honest, fair, and responsible way possible. Although she could have told the patient she would make sure his medications were given on time and that the nurse would be more cheerful, that response could have left the patient guarded, which would have been counterproductive. Instead, Nurse Victoria assessed the situation as a whole and made the appropriate judgment call.

Lack of fidelity in nursing leadership can have significant effects on patients, nurses, healthcare organizations, and the profession of nursing. The following are a few examples of consequences of lack of fidelity in nursing leadership.

Fidelity means demonstrating honesty and integrity. When nurse leaders lack those qualities, they may be viewed as unreliable or unprofessional and lose credibility with their team and among peers.

The way nurses act and their willingness to demonstrate ethical principles in nursing, such as fidelity, can impact the atmosphere of their organizations. For example, a lack of fidelity among nurse leaders can lead to poor relationships within our healthcare facilities, leading to conflicts within the organization.

Fidelity in nursing education is of utmost importance. A few reasons fidelity in nursing education is important are listed below.

Nurse educators play an integral role in developing desired characteristics in nursing students and nursing staff through staff development. Practicing fidelity gives students and staff a positive model upon which to base their own practices.

Fidelity involves promoting all ethical principles of nursing and promoting positive patient outcomes. When nurse educators act with fidelity, they create an atmosphere conducive to learning and implementing good nursing practices in those they teach.

One of the best ways to demonstrate fidelity in nursing education is to teach students the importance of promoting patient autonomy. If students realize how patient autonomy impacts decision-making and nursing care, they soon realize that it is wise to be supportive of that right, which is an act of fidelity. Nurse educators are instrumental in helping students learn this.

Nurse Joseph is working with a small group of students at a local long-term care facility. One of the students is concerned about a patient who has been given a poor prognosis related to colon cancer. The student feels it is important for the patient to try any means necessary to prolong his life, despite doctors saying the only option is to keep him comfortable.

Nurse Joseph talks with the student and reiterates the importance of the patient's right to choose what care, if any, to pursue. He explains that if the patient is competent to make decisions, it is the nurse's job to be loyal and supportive and to continue providing competent, efficient care.

It is essential to have fidelity in nursing education. The principle is based on the nurse’s obligation to be faithful to their professional promises and responsibilities. A lack of fidelity in nursing education can result in consequences like the following.

Patient care requires the collaborative efforts of everyone on the healthcare team. If nurse educators fail to promote fidelity among students and staff, it can cause conflicts, resulting in difficult interprofessional relationships. Nurses can promote better relationships between themselves and other healthcare team members by acting with fidelity. The stronger the relationships between nurses and other team members, the higher the chances of improved patient outcomes and employee satisfaction.

Success of nursing programs means it is essential for nursing faculty to work together. Nurse educators must demonstrate dedication to their professional role, their students, and peers. Lack of fidelity in nursing education can lead to a breakdown in the structure of the educational team. The lack of cohesiveness that results can lead to poor student outcomes, low NCLEX pass rates, and loss of funding for programs.

Fidelity is an important aspect of nursing research. It is the research principle concerned with building trusting relationships between nurse researchers and research participants. Everything nurse researchers do impacts clinical nursing, nursing leadership, and nursing education, making the need for fidelity paramount.

Research participants entrust themselves to the researcher. This trust creates an obligation for the nurse researcher to safeguard the participant and their welfare throughout the research period. The best way to apply fidelity in nursing research is to be honest and open with participants.

Nurse Kayla is the lead nurse researcher working on a new project. As the time to initiate the study begins, she meets with participants to discuss the goal and anticipated outcomes for the study. Nurse Kayla understands the importance of informed consent and discusses known and potential risks associated with the research, and explains her role in ensuring her commitment to their care, demonstrating fidelity to the prospective participants. She also discusses the fact that some risks remain unknown, as this is new research, and there are no previous studies to base conclusions upon.

Lack of fidelity can negatively impact all aspects of nursing research. Some of the consequences nurse researchers may experience due to lack of fidelity include the following.

When nurse researchers lack fidelity, participants or prospective participants can lose confidence in them and their ability to provide safe, effective care.

If any area of nursing demands faithfulness to a belief or cause, it is nursing research. A lack of fidelity in nursing research can lead to conflicts among team members, which could cause concern for participants. If disagreements remain unresolved, team members may branch out and make individual choices or actions which undermine the research and invalidate the study.

Justice is one of the ethical principles in nursing concerned with the act of being fair or impartial. Nurses must make impartial decisions about patient care without showing partiality due to a patient's age, ethnicity, economic status, religion, or sexual orientation.

The following is detailed information about why Justice is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

The ethical nursing principle of justice is centered on achieving and maintaining equity, obligation, and fairness in nursing by applying moral rules, principles, and standards. It is crucial for nurses to understand the impact justice has on nurse-patient and interprofessional relationships. When nurses apply justice in clinical practice, patients feel valued and are typically more compliant with care, improving patient outcomes. Justice also reflects the level of fairness and impartiality expressed by employers, impacting the way nurses and other healthcare team members feel about their jobs and their employers.

Applying justice in nursing practice means treating patients fairly. Fairness means providing the same quality of care for all patients.

Nurse Brooks is working in the after-hours pediatric clinic. Two families arrived within a few minutes of one another. One family has a fifteen-month-old son with a severe rash and cough. His parents report he has had an elevated temperature for the past eight hours. The second family has three children suspected of being exposed to COVID. None of the children is currently symptomatic. Nurse Brooks must decide which patient to treat first and what protocol to follow.

Some people may think that fairness would be for Nurse Brooks to see the children potentially exposed to COVID first. Nurse Brooks understands the importance of preventing the spread of COVID. However, the three children who may have been exposed are asymptomatic. Therefore, she takes the family to an isolation room to await triage and the physician. She then takes the fifteen-month-old patient to an examination room, gets all his vital signs and health history, and notifies the physician the child is ready to be evaluated.

In this situation, Nurse Brooks understood the importance of reducing the risk of possible COVID exposure but also realized the children were asymptomatic. Conversely, the fifteen-month-old patient had a fever, rash, and a cough, which warranted immediate attention.

It is important for nurses to understand how to apply justice in nursing practice. It is equally important to know the consequences which could arise if there is a lack of justice in nursing. Here are a few examples of what could happen if nurses do not apply justice in their practices.

Justice in clinical practice involves acting fairly and requires nurses to utilize critical thinking and decision-making skills. Without utilizing those skills to implement justice, it is possible that treatment for patients requiring priority care could be delayed. In some cases, delay of treatment could result in dire consequences for the patient and the nurse.

Without justice, nurses may show partiality to one patient or population over another. If this occurs, some patients may feel rejected or even abandoned. Depending on the severity of the situation, nurses could face reprimand for not demonstrating ethical principles.

It is especially vital for nurse leaders to treat the nurses on their teams with fairness and impartiality. Nurses who feel they are as equally valued by their leaders as others on their team feel appreciated and tend to work well with others. Further, staff nurses often mimic the behavior of their leaders. When nurse leaders demonstrate justice within their roles, the nurses they lead usually do, as well.

Justice in nursing leadership can take many forms. For instance, nurse leaders make decisions about schedules, patient assignments, and work to resolve conflicts within their teams.

Nurse Collins is the RN, nurse leader in the Medical-Surgical unit. The med-surg unit typically staffs ten nurses per shift. In addition to making daily nurse assignments and ensuring proper nurse-patient ratios, Nurse Collins is responsible for reviewing requests from nurses for time off work. Two nurses have made formal requests for a week off for vacation. Consequently, the nurses have asked for the same week off. Like other hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide, there is a shortage of nurses at Nurse Collins' facility, making it difficult to approve vacation for two nurses at the same time.

To be fair, Nurse Collins reviews both requests. She speaks to each nurse privately to tell them another nurse has requested the same vacation time and asks if they have an alternate date that will work for them. This is her attempt to be fair and allow the nurses to find a solution. Because neither nurse wants to change their vacation date, Nurse Collins must decide whose request to approve. The nurses have the same amount of experience and have worked at the facility for the same length of time, meaning neither has seniority. However, one nurse turned her request in for consideration two days before the other. With no other information to consider and neither nurse willing to change their request, Nurse Collins made the impartial decision to approve the request she received first.

Lack of justice in nursing leadership can be detrimental to the success of nursing teams and healthcare organizations and can negatively impact patient and organizational outcomes. Here are a few examples of the consequences of lack of justice in nursing leadership.

Nurses who feel like their leaders value others more than them or believe their leaders make unfair decisions typically have a poor outlook on their job. These negative feelings can affect the whole team resulting in poor morale. This dissatisfaction leads to lower-quality care, poor patient outcomes, and higher rates of employee turnover.

I remember my mother always told us, "Work hard and do your best in every task, especially work, because everyone is replaceable." Her words are still true today. Nurse leaders who fail to exercise the fundamental ethical principles of nursing, such as justice, may find their supervisors or employers become dissatisfied with them. The leader's job, after all, is to make things run smoothly and efficiently, and if they don't deliver, they could find themselves in big trouble, maybe even without a job.

Nurse educators must provide adequate education to nursing students to help them understand the concept of justice and develop ways of implementing this ethical principle in practice. Students must learn to promote justice in contemporary healthcare while caring for diverse patient populations.

Nurse educators apply justice in several ways. They must first demonstrate fairness and impartiality when dealing with students, such as when making clinical assignments, grouping students for class work, and the way they interact with students' individuality.

One of the most influential methods nurse educators use to apply justice in nursing education is to use mock scenarios and laboratory intensives. In these situations, students interact with one another in a supervised environment, allowing them to act out planned scenarios and giving feedback on how to improve their judgment, critical thinking, hands-on skills, and the way they demonstrate ethical nursing principles.

Ms. Bayles is reviewing ethical principles in nursing with second-year nursing students. Today, she has separated the class into groups, with some acting as patients and others acting as staff nurses. The group of "patients" is comprised of male and female students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Two of the students in this group are openly members of the LGBTQ population.

Ms. Bayles gathers the group of students acting as nurses, gives a mock report, and then asks each "nurse" which "patient(s)" they prefer to care for. She asks the students to write down the patient they want to care for and give an explanation of why they chose that patient. After gathering the student's requests, she assigns patients without reading the requests.

At the end of class, Ms. Bayles reads each student nurse's request and their reason for choosing the patient they wanted. She then gives the students an opportunity to discuss how justice may or may not have been served if the students were assigned the patient they chose. They also discuss how Ms. Bayles' decision to assign patients without input from the nurses demonstrated justice, as there were no conditions for care, no partiality, and no opportunities to deny care based on the student nurse's opinions.

The lack of justice in nursing education can negatively impact students, nurse educators, nursing schools, and the healthcare facilities that host students and later employee graduates. Here are a few consequences that could result.

Perhaps the most profound consequences of the absence of justice in nursing education relate to how nursing students perform in the clinical setting during and after graduating. If nurse educators do not teach justice and demonstrate the principle in the classroom and in clinicals, students may lack the ability to apply justice themselves. Until they learn the importance of justice and how to effectively apply the principle in their practices, they may find it difficult to establish good nurse-patient relationships or to work well within a team.

Nursing instructors and educators must be careful to treat all students equally, avoiding stereotyping or showing partiality to one student or group of students. When nurse educators fail to demonstrate the ethical principle of justice, it may be difficult to develop rapport with students, compromising their ability to effectively teach students.

Justice is a crucial ethical principle in nursing research. This principle requires the nurse researcher to be fair to research participants. One of the biggest obstacles to utilizing the principle of justice in nursing research is knowing how to select appropriate research participants based on populations. For example, the mentally ill, the elderly, and prisoners are considered vulnerable and should not be used simply because researchers may have convenient access to them.

It is essential for nurse researchers to carefully choose study participants. Anyone from a vulnerable population or whose health history contradicts the reason for the study should not be included.

Nurse Hillman is screening applications for potential participants in a new research study focused on the effectiveness of a new cardiac medication. Ten people applied to participate in the study. Nurse Hillman may choose six participants.

As she reviews applications, Nurse Hillman finds one applicant is seventy-nine years old and has no family. Another applicant was recently discharged from an inpatient psychiatric unit due to complications of paranoid schizophrenia. Seven applicants have little or no significant health history other than cardiac-related issues. The final applicant has no history of any health issues. That applicant answered the screening questionnaire and included a statement about her need to "earn some money as a guinea pig" to help pay for college.

Nurse Hillman demonstrates justice in nursing research by first eliminating the two applicants from vulnerable populations, the seventy-nine-year-old applicant and the applicant who was recently treated in the psychiatric unit. She also declines the applicant who wants to earn money for college, as this client has no significant health history. Nurse Hillman then schedules one-on-one interviews with each of the remaining applicants to determine those who best meet the criteria for the study.

While there are consequences for the lack of any of the ethical principles in nursing, the consequences of lack of justice can be significant. Here are a few examples.

Nurse researchers must choose targeted participants based on the type of research they are conducting. If researchers use participants because of their ease of access instead of carefully considering each applicant and choosing the most appropriate, it could raise questions as to the validity of the participant pool.

Research is funded by several sources, and individuals or groups conducting research are accountable to those sources to perform ethically. If the question of whether justice is lacking in nursing research arises, it could cause contributions to slow or stop. Therefore, it is crucial for nurse researchers to conduct business within the confines of ethical nursing practices.

Nonmaleficence is one of the ethical principles in nursing that means to do no harm to others. This principle involves actions by which a positive effect is intended and expected, and any risk of harm is outweighed by the likelihood that no harm will come to the patient or nurse.

The following is detailed information about why Nonmaleficence is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Nonmaleficence in nursing is a vital part of safe, effective, and high-quality patient care. Intentionally exercising nonmaleficence helps the nurse ensure every possible effort is made to protect patient safety and improve patient outcomes.

Nonmaleficence in nursing may include measures such as withholding a medication until a patient’s allergies are confirmed, stopping a medication that is causing adverse reactions, or discontinuing a treatment strategy that seems to be causing more harm than good to the patient.

Nurse Adam received an order to administer Sumatriptan to his patient, Mrs. Elliott, for the treatment of migraines. When Nurse Adam asked Mrs. Elliott if she had ever taken Sumatriptan, she reported she had never tried the medication and stated, "Let's try it. The only medicine I'm allergic to is Azulfidine." Nurse Adam recognizes Azulfidine as a sulfa-containing drug and knows that Sumatriptan also contains sulfa. He asks Mrs. Elliott to describe the type of reaction she has when taking Azulfidine. Mrs. Elliott reports that when she took Azulfidine, she experienced a severe sunburn-like rash and tightness in her chest and throat. With this information, Nurse Adam chooses to hold the Sumatriptan and notify the physician of her sulfa-allergy and request an alternative non-sulfa-containing medication.

Nurse Adam demonstrated nonmaleficence by acting in the best interest of Mrs. Elliott. With the knowledge he had of her severe allergic reaction to a sulfa drug previously, had Nurse Adam administered the new medication, he would be held accountable for any adverse events.

If nonmaleficence is lacking in nursing practice, it can result in dire consequences affecting patients, their loved ones, nurses, and the profession. Here are a few examples of what happens when there is a lack of nonmaleficence in nursing.

Nonmaleficence is based on the principle of preventing harm. When nurses fail to practice nonmaleficence, the risk of medication errors and other safety risks increase.

Nurses must be especially careful to act with nonmaleficence in every nursing action. Failure to do so, resulting in patient or employee harm, could cause severe consequences for the nurse, including loss of job or loss of nursing license if the harm is severe.

While all nurses must practice nonmaleficence in practice, it may be easy to overlook the importance of this ethical principle in the nursing leadership role. Nevertheless, it is vital for nursing leaders to demonstrate nonmaleficence in their roles. The principle of doing no harm applies to our actions toward patients and peers. For nursing leaders, this also encompasses the way we relate to the nurses in our charge.

Nurse leaders may demonstrate nonmaleficence by removing risks to safe work environments, which helps staff feel more at ease in the performance of their duties.

Nonmaleficence in nursing leadership is instrumental in promoting strong interprofessional relationships based on goals to serve the greater good of patients and staff.

Nonmaleficence in nursing leadership is not only demonstrated in the way we care for patients and our expectation for the nurses on our team to do the same, it also includes implementing measures to protect the nurses we lead. Nurse leaders must implement measures to promote the safety and well-being of nurses to reduce the risk of harm and should never intentionally cause harm to another.

Nurse leaders can be very influential, and that influence can be positive or negative, depending on the leader's behavior. If nurse leaders lack nonmaleficence in their practices, it can cause severe issues and dire consequences.

If nursing leadership has a lack of nonmaleficence, it is likely every member of the team will be affected. Whether other nurses demonstrate the same behavior or simply avoid addressing the issue, it still creates issues related to patient care and outcomes.

Nonmaleficence is the principle of promoting good and not causing harm. When nurse leaders lack nonmaleficence, their behavior could result in termination and may lead to the loss of their nursing license.

Nurse educators must demonstrate desirable behavior in the classroom and in clinical settings. Promoting an attitude that supports nonmaleficence is of utmost importance. Here are a few reasons why nonmaleficence in nursing education is vital.

Nonmaleficence in nursing education promotes the delivery of high-quality patient care and supports any action by the nurse to ensure patient safety and well-being.

Nurse educators who act with nonmaleficence are excellent role models for how to put patient needs first without causing harm.

Acting with the patient's best interest at heart and implementing measures to promote patient safety and prevent harm are at the heart of nonmaleficence. It is essential for nurse educators to demonstrate this behavior to students and staff.

Nurse Wilson is a registered nurse employed in clinical staff development. One of the staff nurses at her facility has asked for guidance on how to administer a new medication the physician ordered for a client. Nurse Wilson is unfamiliar with the medication, so she consulted the pharmacist, who told her the medication is in a trial period and has not yet been proven to be effective. He also states that some serious side effects are associated with the medication.

Based on the information she gathered from the pharmacist, Nurse Wilson decided the medication may not be in the best interest of the patient. She informs the staff nurse she is not comfortable educating about administering a drug that has not been proven effective. She also notifies the nursing supervisor and physician of her findings, requesting the medication order be reconsidered.

Although the physician wrote an order for the medication, Nurse Wilson could not in good conscience be a party to giving the drug to the patient because she felt the risk was too high. Her refusal to take part in the education and administration of this drug at this time also protected the staff nurse who came to her for guidance. This is one way to demonstrate nonmaleficence in nursing education.

Nonmaleficence is one of the most important ethical principles in nursing and is closely linked to all other ethical principles. It is crucial for nurse educators to understand the risks associated with a lack of nonmaleficence and to make those risks clear to the students and nurses they teach.

Lack of nonmaleficence is associated with adverse medication events, which can lead to serious patient complications, including death. Nurse educators must stress the importance of nonmaleficence and make it clear to the nurses they teach it is their responsibility to verify and question any order they feel is inappropriate or unsafe.

In nursing research, nonmaleficence assumes no harm will come to any research participant as a result of participating in the research study. While all research studies have the potential to cause harm, nonmaleficence ensures no intentional harm will come to any participant.

Nonmaleficence is important in nursing research as it involves a conscientious act on the part of the nurse researcher to ensure participant safety throughout the study.

Practicing nonmaleficence in nursing research creates a positive reputation for the research team, which can have a positive impact on future research endeavors.

The principle of nonmaleficence is based on the concept of doing no harm. It is every nurse's responsibility to demonstrate this ethical nursing principle. Although all nursing research has the potential to cause some degree of harm, nurse researchers must identify the risks and determine the extent to which participants may be affected. They must also determine if a study should continue, be stopped, or never start at all.

Nurse Phillips is the head nurse researcher at a local research center. As she reviews data related to a scheduled research study, Nurse Phillips must determine the category of risk the study falls under and ensure it is safe to proceed.

After careful consideration of all available data, Nurse Phillips discovers some data indicate risk of permanent damage while other data suggest certainty of permanent damage. Although data also suggests some benefits are likely, the risk of permanent damage to participants outweighs the chance of benefit. Therefore, Nurse Phillips concludes the study is not safe and cancels the research study.

The lack of principles of ethics in nursing, especially nonmaleficence, can carry dire consequences in nursing research. The following are a few examples of what could happen if nurse researchers do not practice nonmaleficence.

Some nursing research is considered highly questionable, even if it has the potential to create benefits. Nonmaleficence in nursing research ensures that nurse researchers act in the best interests of the participants, causing no intentional harm. A lack of nonmaleficence could result in research studies that cause permanent damage to participants.

All nursing research should offer greater benefits than risks, or the research study should not occur. If nurse researchers fail to practice nonmaleficence, they are less likely to weigh the benefits and risks to ensure the benefits are greater than the risks.

Veracity is sometimes viewed as one of the most difficult ethical principles in nursing to uphold. The principle of veracity requires nurses to be completely honest with patients. It means telling the truth, even if the truth may cause the patient distress.

The following is detailed information about why Veracity is important, examples of ways to apply it, and consequences of not applying it in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.

Although implementing veracity may feel a little overwhelming, especially in difficult patient situations, it is an essential ethical principle in nursing. Here are a few reasons why demonstrating veracity is so important.

Veracity creates a bond of trust between patients and nurses. It helps bind and strengthen nurse-patient relationships, which are essential in developing treatment plans and establishing attainable goals.

Veracity in nurses helps promote patient autonomy. Honesty between nurses and patients allows patients to make informed decisions about their care, which is the right of every competent patient.

Veracity in nursing practice requires the nurse to tell the truth in every situation, regardless of how others may respond to that truth.

Mr. Douglas has congestive heart failure and lung cancer that has metastasized to his spine. The doctor came to his room to explain the severity of his condition and told Mr. Douglas they had tried all possible treatments and his life expectancy is less than six months. The doctor recommends hospice at home.

After the doctor leaves, Mrs. Douglas questions the nurse stating, "As soon as we get him home, the hospice people will take good care of him. He will be better in no time, right?" The nurse understands that Mrs. Douglas is grasping for hope and wants the nurse to give her something to cling to. However, the principle of veracity demands the nurse to explain what the doctor said to Mrs. Douglas without giving her false hope.

Although nurses may wish to withhold all or part of the information to help ease a patient or loved one, it is crucial to avoid that. Even with the best of intentions, a lack of veracity in nursing practice can cause more problems than good.

When nurses are dishonest with patients and family members, it creates barriers to effective communication, which complicates patient care even more.

If patients feel they cannot trust nurses to be honest, they may distance themselves and begin to be non-compliant. Poor nurse-patient relationships make it difficult to communicate patient needs and care plans, and non-compliance leads to poor patient outcomes.

Nurses count on nurse leaders to be honest and forthcoming with them about all issues related to patient care or other pertinent information affecting their roles. It is vital for nurse leaders to grasp the need for veracity and implement it in every way possible.

Veracity in nursing leadership helps establish trusting nurse-nurse leader and interprofessional relationships.

Nurse leaders who act with honesty and integrity usually experience higher employee morale and job satisfaction rates within their teams, leading to decreased nurse turnover.

Nurse leaders can positively impact patients, nurses, and their organizations by always demonstrating veracity.

Nurse Brister is the primary nurse leader for a large outpatient clinic located within the university hospital. The outpatient clinic includes several sub-clinics that each employ five to ten nurses. Nurse Brister announced to his staff during a staff meeting that he plans to meet with the nursing administration and seek allocation of funds to improve the outpatient facility. Several of the clinics have old furniture and have not been cosmetically updated for several years. So, this announcement made the nurses happy.

Despite being told the administration would likely deny his request for funds, Nurse Brister typed a proposal and asked for an appointment with the hospital administrator and chief financial officer. He presented his request and made a cordial argument as to how the updates could be a positive change for the hospital. After considering the request, the administration approved a plan to allocate funds to update the clinic.

After being discouraged about approaching administration, Nurse Brister could have simply told his staff he was unable to secure an appointment with them. However, his word to his staff meant more than the risk of being denied a request. This is an excellent way for a nurse leader to demonstrate honesty toward their team members.

Lack of veracity in nurse leadership can cause challenges at every level of the organization. Here are a few examples of consequences of lack of veracity.

If staff nurses feel they cannot trust their leaders, they are less likely to develop strong relationships, which could impact patient care and organizational outcomes.

Employers seek to hire nurse leaders who demonstrate all the ethical principles in nursing. Veracity is especially important as they need to count on what leaders say as the truth. If nurse leaders fail to be honest, they may lose leadership positions or be separated from employment.

Veracity in nursing education is vital to the development of ethically strong nurses. Here are a few reasons why it is an important ethical nursing principle.

Nurse educators who act with honesty and integrity are instrumental in cultivating those behaviors in student nurses and staff nurses.

Veracity in nursing education encourages students to approach any situation with honesty, facing the consequences, good or bad, and learning how to overcome challenges.

Nurse educators can demonstrate veracity in a number of ways. The following is an example of how a nursing instructor may apply veracity in a clinical setting with students.

Mrs. Adams is the nursing instructor supervising students on the Medical-Surgical unit at a local hospital. After students complete assignments and are dismissed to go home, Mrs. Adams remains at the hospital to discuss the next day’s clinical assignments with the nursing supervisor.

The nursing supervisor expresses concerns about one of the students stating she feels the student “may not make it” in the program. She asks Mrs. Adams’ opinion about the student.

Mrs. Adams responds to the nursing supervisor by assuring her that each student in the clinical rotation has strengths and weaknesses. She tells the nursing instructor she is aware of which students need more hands-on skills development and who may need coaching to develop better communication skills, etc. She does not discuss a student by name, but thanks the nursing supervisor for her input and agrees to pay special attention to any student who needs help to succeed.

Lack of veracity can be detrimental to the success of nursing students, staff, and healthcare organizations. The following are a few consequences associated with a lack of veracity in nursing education.

If nurse educators do not teach the need for veracity in patient care, students may fail to exercise veracity, negatively impacting relationships with patients, nursing staff, and instructors.

Healthcare facilities and organizations enter into contracts with nursing schools allowing students to engage in clinical rotations. If nursing students or nurse educators do not demonstrate veracity, it could indicate to the facility the nursing school does not value important ethical principles of nursing. When this occurs, the facility may choose to terminate clinical contracts.

The principle of veracity in nursing research highlights the obligation of the nurse researcher to be honest about the research project. The following are some reasons veracity in nursing research is vital.

Veracity in nursing research gives investors and prospective participants the opportunity to make decisions about the research and their level of involvement based on facts, not assumptions.

Nurse researchers who practice veracity are more likely to be respected, making future research opportunities easier to procure.

Veracity in nursing research is vital for the success of any research project. In nursing research, its veracity involves several aspects.

The research team at ABC Research Lab wishes to conduct a study on patients with paranoid schizophrenia. The team develops a question upon which they wish to base their research. They discuss criteria for research participants, meet with applicants, and ensure informed consent. The team also meets with investors to describe the nature of the research and anticipated outcome. They answer questions and present evidence to support their proposal.

By being open and honest with everyone involved with the proposed research project, nurse researchers allow each person or group to make an informed decision about their involvement before moving forward.

Lack of veracity in nursing research, like the lack of other ethical nursing principles, can result in unpleasant consequences, including the following.

Lack of veracity in nursing research undermines one’s respect for autonomy, which leaves prospective participants feeling as though their wants, needs, or concerns are not important.

Lack of veracity among nurse researchers could lead to deceiving research participants.

5 Most Common Challenges You Will Face While Applying the 7 Ethical Principles in Nursing and How to Overcome Them

Challenge #1: knowing where to draw the line between autonomy and beneficence, what is it:, how to overcome:, challenge #2: deciding whether to withhold information or be honest about a patient’s status or prognosis, challenge #3: supporting autonomy related to informed consent, challenge #4: keeping promises when your circumstances change, challenge #5: determining if nonmaleficence overrules a patient’s right to privacy, my final thoughts.

Why Ethics Is Important in Nursing

There is a need for ethics in every aspect of our lives, including our careers. But for some professions, such as nursing, ethics are essential due to the life-and-death responsibilities of healthcare providers.

It is not just patients affected by the decisions nurses make, but also their families, for the rest of their lives.

Ethics is a vital part of the nursing profession. Nurses are expected to adhere to the ethical principles set forth by their professional organizations and those that govern the laws in their state.

As per the American Nurses Association, the nursing code of ethics “allows nurses to carry out their responsibilities in a manner consistent with ethical obligations and high standards of nursing care.”

Ethics is a broad topic for any profession, but it’s essential in nursing. In this blog post, We will explore why ethics is important in nursing and how they can make ethical decisions that benefit their patients.

Conflicting Obligations

What is ethics in nursing.

Sometimes, nurses face situations in the workplace that challenge their ethical standards.

For example, a nurse may be asked to compromise professional ethics to save lives. The National Council for State Boards of Nursing has outlined guidelines that nurses should follow when presented with these situations.

Ethics is the code of moral principles that guide people’s behavior and decisions about what is morally right or wrong.

Ethics serves as a compass through difficult circumstances and helps shape how we live our life every day.

By following ethical standards set by society, laws, organizations, and employers, not just nursing boards, nurses can help maintain integrity while providing quality care for patients who need it most.

Parts of Ethics

Ethics can be broken down into three distinct parts

Moral ethics: This is about making decisions based on personal values rather than what society deems acceptable or unacceptable.

Professional ethics: It is about behaving in your workplace and what decisions are acceptable or unacceptable.

Legal ethics: Are concerned with compliance with federal and state statutes governing patient care.

Practical ethics: It refers to the decision-making process when there is no clear answer for which action should be taken next because all options have pros and cons associated with them.

Nurses must maintain their integrity by following some essential steps that will help them respond appropriately to these situations where the moral code might be unclear.

Why should Nurses follow ethics?

Follow legal requirements of nursing boards, employers, and professional organizations, as well as laws set forth by society.

Even though this may not always seem like an easy answer, it protects you legally and provides peace of mind down the line if there was ever suspicion on why you followed specific actions such as an order or a rule.

Consider the patients’ wishes and goals in light of their values, cultural perspective, age, spiritual beliefs, and other factors specific to them.

You should also consider legal requirements for healthcare providers when providing your opinion on what is best for the patient.

This includes informed consent, which means sharing information with patients about risks associated with procedures so they can make educated choices.

Patients have rights as well, and these are taken into consideration during ethical decision-making processes by nurses.

Still, there could be cases where some actions violate those rights, such as euthanasia, while it might seem like the most humane way out for someone who has gone through medical treatments unsuccessfully in the past.

Why Is Ethics in Nursing Important?

Most Nurses face challenges almost every day. They are in the position of being caring, knowledgeable, and responsible for a person’s health.

Here are situations nurses face almost every day:

Obtain informed consent: The nurse must be informed about the patient’s condition and understand what they are consenting for.

Careful documentation: The Nurse needs a thorough understanding of how health information is stored to protect it from misuse, misinterpretation, or erroneous use;

Reporting adverse events/situations: Nurses must say any problems that may have been caused by their actions or those of others. This includes but not limited to medication errors and unsafe practices while caring for patients;

Maintaining confidentiality: Sometimes, nursing staff needs access to personal records such as HIV status (a person can’t tell their doctor without telling the whole world). So people who work with these records especially nurses-need an ethical approach when handling sensitive data.

Nurses know they have to be ethical people; otherwise, their patients will suffer because of it. Honest nurses always act as role models for others working with patients by treating them like family members or friends and protecting privacy through confidentiality codes.

Ethics is essential when you want competent nurses who deliver care that meets standards set by organizations, including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations ( JCAHO ) and the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) .

Ethics also provides an opportunity to teach these values to new students entering into a nursing profession which may not come from families where ethics were taught at home. This sets up the student nurse to hopefully become competent.

Ethical Conflicts in Nursing

It is not uncommon for nurses to face ethical dilemmas. Nurses often have two different moral obligations, one to the patient and another to society. Nurses must act accordingly in these situations as there will impact both their personal lives and their career.

A nurse may face a situation where they are obligated by law not to testify about something illegal or unethical. Still, if they don’t do so, then it could harm other people who need treatment because of what happened at the hospital.

A nurse might also incur legal liability themselves if they were involved with what happened.

For example, helping someone commit suicide is illegal under some circumstances, or falsifying documents such as death certificates without consent from the next of kin when nobody has been found yet.

The other conflict is when a nurse has to provide evidence against someone else in their care or even refuse treatment that the hospital might be obligated to give by law.

Confidentiality

A nursing professional is required by law and ethics codes of conduct not to disclose any information about the patient unless they have consent from at least one person authorized. This could include anything like diagnosis, prognosis, previous treatments, and another medical history.

They are also expected to protect this confidentiality even after the individual stops being under his/her care because it can still cause harm if people know specific facts without knowing what happened firsthand.

As nurses, you have a responsibility to uphold our values and ethical standards. If you’re struggling with a moral dilemma in your day-to-day nursing life, remember that many resources are available for help. The most important thing is prioritizing what’s best for the patient when it comes down to it.

More Resources for Ethics in Nursing:

5 Current Healthcare Issues
Fundamentals of Nursing: Books and Resources
Ethical Challenges Of A Health & Medical Advice Website

About The Author

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October 25, 2019

Importance of Ethics in Nursing Practice

For the past 17 years, nurses have earned the top spot in a Gallup poll of the most honest and ethical professions . In the latest poll, nurses came out well ahead of medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, police officers, and more than a dozen other professions.

Clearly, ethics is essential to the nursing profession. The Code of Ethics for Nurses establishes a “non-negotiable” ethical standard for the profession. Yet, not all RNs receive ethics education in their nursing programs.

Earning a BSN can help fill this gap in education. For example, the online RN to BSN program from the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) includes coursework that emphasizes ethical and legal issues in the context of nursing and healthcare practice.

What Is Ethics in Nursing?

Ethics might sound simple on the surface: Either something is good or bad, right or wrong. An honorable person acts accordingly, based on what is moral or just.

But in nursing, ethics is anything but simple. The 48-page “Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements” is evidence of the complexity of ethical decision-making in nursing — and just how vital ethics education is.

Nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, and they spend more time with patients than most other healthcare professionals. It is no wonder, then, that ethical concerns make their way into everyday nursing practice.

End-of-life issues are a common source of ethical concern in nursing. Other examples include allocating scarce resources, such as donor organs, prenatal testing, and medication administration ( such as when a patient refuses treatment ).

An aging population is adding to ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. Orthopaedic Nursing shares the example of a patient with preexisting comorbid conditions. A surgeon has ordered a test that the patient has refused. Does the nurse follow the orders without the patient’s consent? Obviously, it’s not such an easy call to make.

Why Is Ethics Education Important?

As much as ethics is an integral part of nursing care, ethics education is not a given in nursing school. For example, associate-level nursing programs place an emphasis on clinical skills. While BSN programs develop the critical-thinking skills required for ethical decision-making, the core nursing curriculum may not always include specific coursework in healthcare ethics.

The authors of “ Ethics Education in Nursing: Instruction for Future Generations of Nurses ” point out that ethics education in nursing provides a “critical foundation addressing ethical questions that arise in the patient-provider relationship.” Yet, research on ethics education in nursing shows that there are inconsistencies in standards for ethics education:

Approximately 22.7% of nurses reported no ethics education.
Just over half of nurses had ethics coursework in their nursing program.

Not surprisingly, nurses with ethics education had higher levels of confidence than those without and were more likely to take moral action.

In the latest Gallup poll, nearly 85% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” Medical doctors came in right behind, at 67%. No doubt, nurses play an essential role in ensuring patient care meets ethical standards.

But with healthcare becoming increasingly complex, RNs have a lot to keep up with. Ethics courses, such as UMFK’s Health Care Ethics and the Law, can give RNs the higher level skills and ethics knowledge they need to recognize ethical dilemmas and address them with confidence.

Learn more about the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s online RN to BSN program .

Gallup: Nurses Again Outpace Other Professions for Honesty, Ethics
American Nurses Association: Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements
Orthopaedic Nursing: “Everyday Ethics” in the Care of Hospitalized Older Adults
The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing: Ethics Education in Nursing: Instruction for Future Generations of Nurses

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‘Past public health lessons must be learnt’

STEVE FORD, EDITOR

You are here: Clinical content

The NMC code: conduct, performance and ethics

16 September, 2011 By NT Contributor

Nurses and midwives can use the NMC code to guide and support daily practice

In this article…

How the NMC code aims to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public
How nurses and midwives should use the code to guide their daily practice
How the code, alongside other NMC standards, guidance and advice, can be used as a tool to support development

Jan Goldsmith is assistant director, standards (nursing) at the Nursing and midwifery Council.

Goldsmith J (2011) The NMC code: conduct, performance and ethics. Nursing Times; 107: 37, early online publication.

The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives is a set of key principles that should underpin the practice of all nurses and midwives, and remind them of their professional responsibilities. It is not just a tool used in fitness-to-practise cases – it should be used to guide daily practice for all nurses and midwives. Alongside other standards, guidance and advice from the NMC, the code should be used to support professional development.

Keywords: NMC Code, Standards, Guidance

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
Figures and tables can be seen in the attached print-friendly PDF file of the complete article

5 key points

The NMC code is key to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public
It is not just a mechanism used in fitness to practise cases
It should form a key part of guiding nurses’ and midwives’ daily practice
Nurses and midwives should refer to the key principles of the code frequently
Alongside other NMC standards, guidance and advice, the code is an important tool for supporting professional development

Like any profession, nursing must have clear regulatory principles so that registered nurses know what is required of them. These principles are set down in The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008), which is a key tool in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public.

The code provides the foundation upon which all other NMC standards, guidance and advice are based. It also provides the benchmark against which individual nurses’ or midwives’ fitness to practise is judged if it is called into question; this is often the main feature that people associate with the code. Fewer than 1% of the total number of nurses and midwives on the NMC’s register are referred to the fitness to practise department but, in spite of this, all nurses and midwives need to think more broadly about how the code can support them in their everyday work.

The code should be seen as a set of key principles that underpin the practice of all nurses and midwives and remind them of their professional responsibilities. It should also be used as a tool to support decision-making, reflection and learning and development.

This article explores the ways in which nurses and midwives can use the code on an ongoing basis to support and improve their practice.

The key principles

When working in busy environments, it is easy for nurses to lose sight of what the code requires of them. It is, therefore, important that all nurses refer to it frequently, to remind themselves of the key principles set out in its different sections.

The people in your care must be able to trust you with their health and wellbeing

This is the code’s overarching principle. As a nurse, you must always be able to justify that trust and never forget what a privilege it is to care for someone. This could be giving help with personal care or to eat a meal, listening to a person who is disclosing their deepest concerns and anxieties to you, or caring for a baby who a parent has handed to you. It is sometimes easy to forget the magnitude of this responsibility.

Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity

Sadly, recent high-profile reports and inquiries into failings in the delivery of healthcare continue to show that there are far too many incidences where people are simply not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. You need to continually remind yourself that often it is the simplest things that are important in maintaining the dignity of the people you care for and work with.

Work with others to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those in your care, their families and carers, and the wider community

It is vital to remember the principles of effective teamworking, which are set out in this section of the code. Many nurses now lead teams from very early in their careers and so need to be effective leaders. In leadership and management roles, it is crucial that you are absolutely clear about your accountability in relation to delegating care safely and effectively, and managing risk.

Provide a high standard of practice and care at all times

Nurses have a responsibility to strive for excellence and aim to deliver the highest possible standard of practice wherever they work. This can be difficult when resources are limited, but is important. You need to ensure you are using the best available evidence to support practice and that you keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of your profession

As a nurse you have a responsibility to uphold the reputation of the profession at all times. This applies equally whether you work directly with patients and service users or in other environments such as education, research or policy development. It also applies to your behaviour and conduct outside the workplace.

Additional guidance and advice

As the code sets out fundamental principles, it cannot cover all the circumstances or ethical situations nurses and midwives may encounter. The NMC therefore provides a wide range of additional guidance and advice to support aspects of the code. This is frequently updated, so it is important to check the NMC website regularly for new material.

Some examples of recent areas of development are set out below.

Paper and electronic records

Record Keeping: Guidance for Nurses and Midwives (NMC, 2010a) elaborates on the section in the code that addresses record-keeping. It explains in detail what the NMC expects from nurses and midwives in relation to paper and electronic records.

In view of evidence that poor record-keeping continues to be a problem across nursing and midwifery, the NMC is about to begin a review of this document. Its aim is to develop a new standard that will address the wider processes of critical thinking, decision-making, assessment and diagnosis that is undertaken by nurses and midwives and determines the care they provide, and the subsequent content of their records.

Older people

Guidance for the Care of Older People (NMC, 2009) uses the code as a framework for identifying a range of principles that should be followed when delivering care to people in this age group. It focuses particularly on maintaining the dignity and autonomy of older people, and respecting their rights and choices. Nurses who work with older people are strongly encouraged to use this resource to further develop services and make improvements in care.

Safeguarding, raising concerns and improving standards of care

The importance of safeguarding people’s rights, choices and maintaining their dignity is highlighted in an innovative collection of materials the NMC has developed. The safeguarding adults resources were launched last year and include a series of short films to enable nurses and midwives to critically reflect on their practice and ensure that safeguarding continues to be a key priority. These resources clearly illustrate the responsibility of nurses and midwives in using the principles enshrined in the code to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public.

The code clearly directs nurses and midwives to act without delay if they believe someone is being put at risk. Of course, it is not always easy to report concerns and, in recognition of these challenges, the NMC published Raising and Escalating Concerns: Guidance for Nurses and Midwives (NMC, 2010b). This provides a range of information to help nurses and midwives work through a process to ensure that concerns about the safety and wellbeing of people in their care or work environment can be raised and addressed.

It is important to emphasise that raising and escalating concerns is not just about blowing the whistle on dangerous or unsafe practice. Nurses and midwives must be proactive in improving practice and standards of healthcare; this means being able to take a lead in identifying opportunities for innovation and enhancement.

Creating and maximising opportunities to improve services and providing leadership feature strongly in the new Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Education (NMC, 2010c). The need for students to develop skills in critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and use of technology are also strong themes.

Students will be starting the first programmes approved under these standards this year and will need to see these principles modelled in the workplace when they undertake their practice learning. It is important for all nurses to familiarise themselves with the new standards and ask themselves what they will mean in terms of how they apply the code in their practice.

The NMC also produces a wide range of advice sheets that provide additional support to nurses and midwives in identifying how aspects of the code relate to their practice. These include confidentiality, accountability, delegation and, most recently, responsible use of social networking sites.

It is important to emphasise that nurses and midwives should ensure they are aware of the range of legislation as well as local policies and procedures that affect their practice and keep themselves up to date with any changes.

Supporting professional development

The above information should have highlighted the importance of regularly referring to the code and the range of supporting guidance and advice, both to remind you of the principles that should underpin your practice and to enable you to reflect and consider ways of enhancing and improving practice within your working environment.

Reflection as a tool to help maintain and improve practice should be at the heart of continuing professional development activities that nurses and midwives are required to undertake in order to maintain their NMC registration. Employers also require evidence of learning activity through local appraisal and performance development processes.

The code can, and should, be used as a framework to develop learning objectives throughout your career. It is particularly useful at the beginning and can be incorporated into local preceptorship processes.

As the code applies to all nurses and midwives, irrespective of their field or scope of practice, it is useful to refer to it during induction into any new role. It should be used on an ongoing basis to form part of the learning, development, and performance review cycle. Even if you are at the end of your career or work in a senior role, the code still applies – and it can be easy to forget the fundamentals of high-quality care and practice.

Nurses and midwives all need to remember that they are accountable for adhering to the code, whether they work directly or indirectly with patients and service users, and whether they deliver essential care or delegate it to others. It is good practice to consider and reflect on this responsibility whenever you are thinking about learning and development objectives and activities.

It is important that the code is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it continues to reflect current nursing and midwifery practice and sufficiently addresses all aspects of conduct, performance and ethics.

The NMC has just begun a review of the code and intends to introduce a revised version early in 2013. The council wants to ensure it continues to relate to nurses and midwives in the increasingly diverse environments in which they practise and will need to engage widely with members of the professions to achieve this. It will be undertaking various events and activities during the coming months, so keep an eye on the NMC website for details of how you can be involved.

Hopefully, this article has shown that the code is more than just a mechanism to implement processes against individuals where fitness to practise has been called into question.

The vast majority of nurses and midwives on the NMC register want to deliver the highest standards of practice possible, and the code is the most valuable tool they have available to them to enable them to do this in conjunction with other NMC standards, guidance and advice.

The code and other NMC standards, guidance and advice, including the safeguarding adults resources, are easily accessible through the NMC’s website at www.nmc-uk.org. Many of the publications can be ordered as hard copies through the publications section of the website.

Future articles will consider how the principles within the code apply to specific areas of practice and include real-life examples from nurses working across a wide range of environments and settings in the UK.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010a) Record Keeping: Guidance for Nurses and Midwives.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010b) Raising and Escalating Concerns: Guidance for Nurses and Midwives

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010c) Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Education.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) Guidance for the Care of Older People.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives .

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Iran J Public Health
v.42(Supple1); 2013

The Code of Ethics for Nurses

1 Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Centre, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

A Parsapour

Ss bagher maddah.

3 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran

MA Cheraghi

4 Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

GH Mirzabeigi

5 Iranian Nursing Organization, Tehran, Iran

M Vahid Dastgerdi

6 Minister, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Iran

7 Dept. of Gynecology & Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Nurses are ever-increasingly confronted with complex concerns in their practice. Codes of ethics are fundamental guidance for nursing as many other professions. Although there are authentic international codes of ethics for nurses, the national code would be the additional assistance provided for clinical nurses in their complex roles in care of patients, education, research and management of some parts of health care system in the country. A national code can provide nurses with culturally-adapted guidance and help them to make ethical decisions more closely to the Iranian-Islamic background. Given the general acknowledgement of the need, the National Code of Ethics for Nurses was compiled as a joint project (2009–2011). The Code was approved by the Health Policy Council of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and communicated to all universities, healthcare centers, hospitals and research centers early in 2011. The focus of this article is on the course of action through which the Code was compiled, amended and approved. The main concepts of the code will be also presented here. No doubt, development of the codes should be considered as an ongoing process. This is an overall responsibility to keep the codes current, updated with the new progresses of science and emerging challenges, and pertinent to the nursing practice.

Introduction

Nurses are responsible to provide their clients/patients with the high-quality care. They are undoubtedly confronted with various ethical challenges in their professional practice, so they should be familiar with ethical codes of conduct and the essentials of ethical decision making.

The codes of ethics have been adopted for many professions in recent decades. In nursing, as one the most-trusted professions, the ethical codes have been also published by nearly every recognized professional group worldwide. The first international code of ethics for nurses was adopted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in 1953 ( 1 ). The two codes prepared by American Nurses Association (ANA) ( 2 ) and Canadian Nurse Association (CAN) ( 3 ) are the examples of national codes of ethics for nurses. The codes outline how the nurses should behave ethically as a profession, and how they should decide when encounter barriers preventing them from fulfilling their professional obligations. The codes can also support nurses in their practice and reduce their moral distress.

In Iran, studies have shown nurses’ weaknesses in the knowledge of ethics and its application in practice ( 4 , 5 ). In a qualitative study carried out by Negarandeh et al, the nurses identified “lack of code of ethics” as a barrier to patient advocacy in Iran ( 6 ). Sanjari et al, also, reviewed nursing codes of ethics and emphasized the necessity of compiling a national code of ethics for nurses in healthcare setting in 2008 ( 7 ). They suggested an adapted code considering cultural context and Islamic background of the country.

Considering the growing activities in the field of medical and healthcare ethics in Iran ( 8 , 9 ), and in order to address the needs and help to fulfill goals of health care system in the country, the National Code of Ethics for Nurses was prepared under supervision of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). It is expected that the Code will serve the interests and needs of the profession more efficiently, since it illustrate moral and professional obligations of nurses for prevention of diseases, promoting health in the society, communicating with colleagues, management of health care systems, and research activities.

The goal of this paper is to provide the nurses with the information about the National Code and help them to apply the provisions in their profession. The manuscript will introduce the main concepts of the recently published codes.

The project of “Compiling the National Code of Ethics for Nurses” was initiated by the Ethics Group of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center (EMRC) of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in 2009.A working group composed of 3 nurses and one general practitioner prepared the first draft of the code through a study including the wide search of international and national codes of ethics for nurses in other countries. After compiling the draft, the project was continued as a joint project with Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center (MEHRC) of TUMS and the Secretariat of High Council for Medical Ethics of Health Policy Council of MOHME.

At first, the preliminary draft was presented at special discussion secession at MEHRC and was challenged by professors, researchers and PhD and MPH students of TUMS. According to the discussions held, the draft was revised. Then, a Task Force that was appointed by the Secretariat of High Council for Medical Ethics of Health Policy Council of MOHME actively engaged in the process of reviewing and modification of the second draft of the code. The Task Force was composed of invited supervisors or head-nurses from main hospitals of TUMS, professors of Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of TUMS, specialists in different fields of ethics, law, religion, and the representatives of Iranian Nursing Organization (INO), Medical Council of Islamic Republic of Iran, Office of Nursing Advisor to MOHME, Academy of Medical Sciences and Nursing Board of MOHME.

Owing to the sincere cooperation of all members of the Task Force, the final code was prepared after some discussion sessions. Then, it was proposed to the Health Policy Council of MOHME for evaluation and approval. The code as the National Code of Ethics for Nurses was delivered in the country in early 2011.

National Code of Ethics for Nurses

The Code is an entirely new document produced for nursing ethics in the country, which was published in Farsi ( 10 ). It is also available through the website of MOHME ( 11 ). The English version is enclosed here as annex1 . The target audience includes all nurses in the fields of nursing education, research, administrative, and clinical care, in the whole.

The National Code defines the values which are comprehensive and culturally-adapted. Then, it classify the ethical responsibilities as five main parts of “Nurses and People”, “Nurses and the Profession”, “Nurses and Practice”, “Nurses and Co-workers”, and “Nursing, Education and Research”, including 71 provisions in total.

The code sets out the required elements for ethical conduct and empowers nurses to make ethical decisions more perfectly as they perform as clinical nurses, researchers, administrators and policy-makers. It also reminds the nurses of the valuable state of their profession and what they should attempt to uphold as a nurse in providing direct care to clients/patients, teaching nursing students, performing research, and the supervision and management.

As a main general conceptual background of the National code, the patients are not considered as only people who receive the nursing care, and others including the patients’ family and healthy people in the society are considered in the plans and services. Another essence of the Code is that the individual dignity should be respected, regardless of who is receiving the care, or from which nationality, ethnicity, religion, culture, socio-economic class, gender, etc the patient/client is. Meanwhile, under the provisions of the National Code, nurses must recognize and respect cultural sensitivity in everyday practice, even in this era of globalization.

According the Code, the nurses should be sensitive to the ethical challenges and do their best to fulfill their moral duties. It also emphasizes the importance of informed consent, and addresses main ethical issues in everyday practice such as respect to privacy and confidentiality of patients/clients, relationship with colleagues, efficient performance of the professional duties, conflicts of interests, ethics in educational activities and protection of participants in research.

The Code also deals with the administrative duties of nurses. Moreover, it elucidates the concern of how the nurses should communicate with the hospital ethics committee for decision-making when are confronted with ethical cases.

Considering the experiences in compiling national ethical codes and guidelines ( 12 – 18 ), the National Code of Ethics for Nurses is developed as a guide for performing nursing responsibilities and the ethical obligations of the profession. Although there are authentic international codes of ethics for nurses, the national code would be the additional assistance provided for clinical nurses in their complex roles in care of patients, education, research and management of some parts of health care system in the country. Most nurses may be either too busy or exhausted to think about their behavior in practice. However, accountability through meeting the obligations is essential in nursing which is one the most-trusted professions in all societies.

Development of the codes should be considered as an ongoing process, so it is expected that nurses reflect their ideas when they deal with the shortcomings of the codes in their practice. The inputs will enable authorities to improve the code and pave the way for its effective implementation. The codes should be revised and updated in regular intervals considering reflections from nurses across the country. This is an overall responsibility to keep the codes current, updated with the new progresses of science and emerging challenges, and pertinent to the nursing practice.

Ethical considerations

Ethical issues (Including plagiarism, Informed Consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, etc) have been completely observed by the authors.

Acknowledgments

It is noteworthy that, this could not be accomplished without dedication and sincere contribution of university lecturers, researchers, and experts in the field. The collaborators (excluding the authors) and members of the Task Force are listed (in alphabetical order) as follows: Adibzade A, Ajali A, Alipor A Z, AzimiLolati H, Bararpour F, Biabangardi Z, DehghanNayeri N, Eesazadeh N, Ghadyani MH, Ghasemzadeh N, Ghorbanpour M, Hashemi F, Heidari A, Joudaki K, Joulaie S, Karimi M, Kashaninia Z, Kazemian M, Milanifar AR, Mobasher M, Namazi HR, NazariEshtehardi M, Parsayekta Z, Saber S, Sahebjam S, Salemi S, Shojaee AA, Soufizadeh M, Tafti F, VaskooeKh, YadavarNikravesh M.

The representatives of Health Policy council of MOHME, The Institution (Nahad) of Representative of the Supreme Leaderin TUMS, Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center of TUMS, Iranian Nursing Organization, Medical Council of Islamic Republic of Iran, Office of Nursing Advisors to MOHME, Academy of Medical Sciences and also Nursing Board of Ministry of Health and Medical Education were among the members of the Task Force. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

ANNEX 1. The Code of Ethics for Nurses in Islamic Republic of Iran

Nurses have the responsibility that within their career limit, make decisions and act based on their professional values. Values are intrinsically valuable concepts, and can be defined as the basis by which an individual or community selects the criterion of right or wrong. Taking into account the exalted position of nursing, professional values are determined by qualified associations and organization. In our country, the limits and boundaries of the actions, in many cases, are determined by Islam and our Constitution. As much as the ethical values are in compliance with religious principles, they are universal and transnational.

The most important principles that should be considered in nursing profession are:

Respecting the patient/client and preserving human dignity
Altruism and sympathy
Devotion to professional obligations
Accountability, responsibility and conscience
Justice in services
Commitment to honesty and loyalty
Maintaining patient’s privacy, and commitment to confidentiality, and trust
Continuous improvement of scientific and practical competence
Promote the awareness of professional rules and ethical guidelines, and respecting them
Mutual respect and appropriate communication with other health care providers
Respecting autonomy of the patient/client
Compassion and kindness

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

1. nurses and people.

The Nurse should:

1-1. Make effort for: improvement of community health, prevention of diseases, restoration of health and alleviation of pain and suffering of patients; and consider these as her/his main mission.
1-2. Offer the nursing care regardless of race, nationality, religion, culture, gender, age, socioeconomic status, political conditions, physical or mental illness, or any other factor; and strive to eliminate injustice and inequality in society.
1-3. Provide the nursing care to client/patient with respect to the human rights while considering; to the extent it is possible; values, socio-cultural traditions, and religious beliefs of patient/client.
1-4. Educate the community in term of health promotion and disease prevention and consider it as one of his/her most important responsibilities. Nursing care and standard teaching must be presented in a way to fit the culture, beliefs, values and individual’s needs.
1-5. Be sensitive to the challenges and ethical issues, in both community and workplace, that could undermine the sanctity of the nursing profession; and offer the appropriate solution when is necessary.
1-6. While cooperating and coordinating with other individuals, groups and social institutions, try to address social needs and resolve ethical issues raised in the area of health care.
1-7. Pay special attention to vulnerable groups and individuals such as children, elderly, people with physical disability, mental illness, and so on.
1-8. While have attention to the medical health at the local level, endeavor to achieve the health goals in national and international levels.
1-9. Perform his/her responsibilities, in crises and natural disasters such as war, earthquake, flood, and disease epidemic, while taking the necessary precautions.

2. Nurses and the Profession

2-1. Take into account ethical responsibilities, as well as the legal and professional liabilities, when implementing the nursing interventions and making the clinical decisions.
2-2. 2-Whitin the limits of his/her power and duties, attempt to provide a safe and healthy environment for the client / patient.
2-3. Maintain the safety of the client / patient by: being on time, efficient performance of the professional duties, and accurate and complete recording of the performed care.
2-4. Provide the best care to the client / patient; based on professional standards which is resulted from valid research and reliable evidence.
2-5. Carry out all the nursing interventions with respect to the client / patient and his/her family.
2-6. Do his/her maximum effort to conserve patient’s confidentiality and privacy, and respect autonomy, and obtain the informed consent.
2-7. Prevent the probable damage to the client / patient by detecting and reporting the professional errors of medical team.
2-8. In case of mistake in nursing interventions, explain honestly to the client / patient, and proceed with truthfulness and fairness in any circumstances.
2-9. Maintain and enhance his/her physical, mental, social, and spiritual abilities.
2-10. Keep his /her knowledge and skills up to date, in order to maintain the professional competence.
2-11. Have the capability and knowledge of effective and safe nursing care, without direct supervision, and be accountable for his/her actions.
2-12. Perform in a way that nobody could question his/her professional credibility and dignity.
2-13. Be cautious about misuse of his/her name and position for commercial advertising of products.
2-14. Avoid the acceptance of any gift or benefit from the client / patient or their relatives, which may cause any limitation either now or in the future.

3. Nurses and Practice

3-1. Introduce him /herself with name, title and his/her professional role to the client / patient.
3-2. Provide all the nursing interventions with respect to the client / patient and preserving their dignity.
3-3. Consider the client / patient’s demands regardless of their age, sex, race, economic status, lifestyle, culture, religion, political beliefs and physical abilities.
3-4. Perform the nursing care based on current knowledge and common sense.
3-5. Produce a gentle behavioral and verbal communication, in a way that with attracting the client/ patient trust, their needs and concerns could be understood.
3-6. Before performing any nursing interventions, obtain the patient or his/her legal guardian consent. In this regard, the nurse should provide sufficient information about nursing intervention for the patient, so that she/he could have the possibility of well-informed acceptance or rejection of the service.
3-7. When presenting or applying a new product in clinical practice, have a complete knowledge of its risks. Moreover, provide the client / patient with the necessary information about benefits and disadvantages of the product, hence they could have the possibility of informed choice.
3-8. Be aware that no one has the right to consent in place of a competent adult. In case of children, giving the consent is one of the legal guardian’s responsibilities.
3-9. In order to empower the client / patient, educate him/her and their family; in frame of care plan and discharge program.
3-10. As an exception, in case of an emergency, when the immediate therapeutic action is mandatory for saving the client / patient’s life, start the necessary intervention without patient’s consent.
3-11. Perform the appropriate intervention based on existing standards and patient’s higher interests; when obtaining the informed consent or realizing the patient’s wishes is not possible.
3-12. Apply the safety measures to be sure that nursing interventions are harmless, and when is necessary, consult this matter with other health team members.
3-13. Consider all the information given or obtained during the care process as the professional secrets, and do not reveal them without client / patient’s permission except in legally permissible cases.
3-14. Employ the medical information of client / patient only for health related purposes (treatment, research) and in patient’s interest. Inform the client / patient that part of his/ her medical record might be disclosed to other team members for medical consultation.
3-15. Using the medical information of the client / patient in research or education should be with their permission. Presentation of the result must be done without mentioning the name, address or any other information that could lead to identification of the patient.
3-16. Respect the patient privacy when performing any nursing intervention.
3-17. When performing the ideal service is unfeasible, continue the health care, in best of his /her ability, until establishment of a new health care program.
3-18. Provide the care for injured or patients in emergency situations, even outside the workplace.
3-19. In case of dissatisfaction of the client / patient or other problem, respect their right to change the charged nurse or other health care providers, and as much as possible, try to satisfy the client / patient in this matter.
3-20. In case of noticing a violation of standards of care, inform the authorities who have sufficient power for improvement of condition.
3-21. Report any objection or problem of patient to the ward supervisor.
3-22. Avoid any action, even in patient’s request, that requires ethical, legal or religious violation.
3-23. Assist the patients who spend the last days of their life for accepting the reality and to appropriately planning of their demands, including performing the religious practices or recording their wills.

4. Nurses and Co-workers

The Nurse should

4-1. Cooperate with medical team members, the client / patient and their family, for more efficient presentation of nursing interventions.
4-2. Contribute the client / patient or legal guardian in making decision about nursing interventions.
4-3. Share his/her professional knowledge and experience with other colleagues.
4-4. Establish a good relation based on mutual trust, with medical team.
4-5. Have a respectable conduct with other nurses, professors and students.
4-6. In case of any conflict of interest in the care of the client / patient, discuss it with senior colleagues and the principals, while giving the priority to preserving the clients / patients’ rights.
4-7. Establish a respectful professional relationship with co-workers in various levels, including the head nurse, supervisor, nursing director and department heads
4-8. Confronting any ethical challenge, consult the hospital ethics committee for decision-making.

Nursing Director should:

4-9. Act as a role model for other nurses in all aspects of professional carrier.
4-10. Put his/her maximum efforts into the transfer of legal and ethical information to other nurses.
4-11. Provide the necessary conditions for participation of nurses in continuous training program.
4-12. When required, consult ethicists, in order to resolve the ethical problems occur during nursing interventions.
4-13. According to the hierarchy, collaborated with other colleagues, act in line with client / patient’s interest.
4-14. With the aim of improving the service quality, do his/her maximum effort to maintain a good working environment and increase professional motivation.
4-15. Behave fairly in the process of evaluation and promotion of nurses while considering the professional standards and nursing ethics code.

5. Nursing, Education and Research

5-1. Nursing professors should employ their maximum efforts to update their scientific knowledge, and to promote ethical knowledge and conduct.
5-2. The relationship between professors and students in scientific, educational and research environments should be based on professional ethics and mutual respect.
5-3. Nursing professors should make effort to improve students’ knowledge and skills, and promote their ethical and professional performance.
5-4. Consider carefully and accurately the patient’s rights and ethical concerns, in cases of using the patients for educational purposes.
5-5. Medical services should not be affected if client /patient or their family do not wish to-cooperate in education of the students.
5-6. To improve the healthcare services, the quality of nursing training courses, existing guidelines and standards must be continually reviewed and revised.
5-7. Nurses, who are involved in research, must pass the specific training courses, have knowledge about the research regulations, and be familiar with national, general, and specific ethical guidelines and be pledged to these regulations.
5-8. Nurses should not use their professional positions to convince the client / patient to participate in the research project.
5-9. Refusal of participation in the research project by the patient or his/her family should not influence the delivery of the nursing interventions.
5-10. Clinical nurses should make effort to enhance the expertise and clinical capacities of nursing and midwifery students.

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The importance of code of ethics in nursing cannot be overemphasized. Knowing and successfully applying this code ensures a personalized approach to every patient and improving their outcomes. In addition, the study of nursing ethical considerations forms a common standard of behavior for all workers, which helps find answers to complex ethical ...
Nursing Code Of Ethics In Nursing: [Essay Example], 604 words
The Nursing Code of Ethics is a set of ethical guidelines that all nurses are expected to adhere to in their practice. It provides a framework for ethical decision-making and guides nurses in their interactions with patients, colleagues, and the broader healthcare community. The Code of Ethics is based on a set of fundamental principles that ...
View the Code of Ethics for Nurses
The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (The Code) was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. In an effort to provide easy access to The Code, we are providing "view only" access, not only for ANA members ...
PDF NursingWorld
The Code of Ethics for Nurses serves the following purposes: It is a succinct statement of the ethical obligations and duties of every individual who enters the nursing profession. It is the profession's nonnegotiable ethical standard. It is an expression of nursing's own understanding of its commitment to society.
Code of Ethics in Nursing Importance
The nursing code of ethics is a formal statement of the ethical values, principles, and duties that guide the nursing profession. It provides guidance for nurses in ethical decision-making and helps them uphold their professional responsibilities towards patients, colleagues, and society. The Importance of a Code of Ethics in Nursing
The 9 Nursing Code Of Ethics Every Nurse Must Adhere To
The 9 Nursing Code of Ethics (Provisions + Interpretive Statements) - Every Nurse Must Adhere To. Ethical behavior is characterized by fairness, honesty, and equity in professional, academic, and interpersonal relationships. It is demonstrated by a respect for diversity, dignity, and rights of individuals and people.
Essay about Nursing Code of Ethics
Code of Ethics in nursing it is important to make sure the staff and patients are being respected and treated with dignity. The study of ethics has lead to basic concept such as justice and fidelity, autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence. It is very important to understand these concepts, because they assist the nurse with making decisions ...
The Importance of Ethics in Nursing
The Nursing code of ethics sets forth the principle that people have the right to decide how they want treatment and to be informed about that treatment in a manner that meets their preferences. It is important, however, that patients be mentally fit to make those types of decisions. If they are not, nurses must help them with the decision ...
The Code of Ethics in Nursing
There are four main ethical principles in nursing: autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence. These are daily nursing practices that nurses should be aware of to ensure safe, best, and most humane care to all patients. Most states in the US have included the ANA's Code of ethics in their practice statement not only to be ethics ...
Understanding the Nursing Code of Ethics, Part One
A nurse's integrity is one of his or her greatest assets. To preserve integrity, nurses refuse to tolerate abuse and conscientiously object to circumstances they feel violate moral standards. Nurses reserve the right to refuse to participate in an activity on moral grounds. Nurses are committed to lifelong learning.
The Importance of Code of Ethics in Nursing: Virtue Ethics and
Essay Example: The Importance of Virtue Ethics and Beneficence in Nursing It is often said that it takes a certain kind of person to become a nurse. They must be well-rounded, flexible, and ready for anything. A day in the life of a nurse is filled with critical thinking, tough conversations
7 Ethical Principles in Nursing + Why They're Important
NURSING ETHICAL PRINCIPLE #1: ACCOUNTABILITY: Per the American Nursing Association's Code of Ethics, professional accountability, one of the important ethical principles in nursing is defined as "being answerable to oneself and others for one's own actions."Nurses are accountable for their actions when caring for patients and must accept the personal and professional consequences of those ...
Why Ethics Is Important in Nursing
Ethics is a vital part of the nursing profession. Nurses are expected to adhere to the ethical principles set forth by their professional organizations and those that govern the laws in their state. As per the American Nurses Association, the nursing code of ethics "allows nurses to carry out their responsibilities in a manner consistent with ...
Principles of Clinical Ethics and Their Application to Practice
The 4 main ethical principles, that is beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice, are defined and explained. Informed consent, truth-telling, and confidentiality spring from the principle of autonomy, and each of them is discussed. In patient care situations, not infrequently, there are conflicts between ethical principles (especially ...
Importance of Ethics in Nursing Practice
Approximately 22.7% of nurses reported no ethics education. Just over half of nurses had ethics coursework in their nursing program. Not surprisingly, nurses with ethics education had higher levels of confidence than those without and were more likely to take moral action. In the latest Gallup poll, nearly 85% of Americans rated nurses ...
The NMC code: conduct, performance and ethics
Goldsmith J (2011) The NMC code: conduct, performance and ethics. is a set of key principles that should underpin the practice of all nurses and midwives, and remind them of their professional responsibilities. It is not just a tool used in fitness-to-practise cases - it should be used to guide daily practice for all nurses and midwives.
The Code of Ethics for Nurses
2-1. Take into account ethical responsibilities, as well as the legal and professional liabilities, when implementing the nursing interventions and making the clinical decisions. 2-2. 2-Whitin the limits of his/her power and duties, attempt to provide a safe and healthy environment for the client / patient. 2-3.

Importance of Code of Ethics in Nursing Profession

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The Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History

Ethics in Society, Professions, and Nursing

A Brief History of the Code of Ethics

The Modern Code of Ethics

Summary: Implications for Practice

What is the Nursing Code of Ethics?

Nursing Code of Ethics Interpretive Statements

Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs

4 Ethical Principles in Nursing

2. Beneficence

4. Nonmaleficence

Popular Online RN-to-BSN Programs

9 Provisions of the Nursing Code of Ethics

What are the five codes of ethics in nursing?

What is the Professional Code of Ethics for Nurses?

Why is the code of ethics important in nursing?

What is the code of ethics in healthcare?

What is scholarly ethics in nursing?

Nursing Code of Ethics: The Ultimate Guide to Ethical Challenges

Code of Ethics in Nursing as Basics of Professional Behavior

The Importance of Studying the Code of Ethics for Nurses

Main Principles of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics Nursing: 9 Provisions a Nurse Must Adhere To

How Can Code of Ethics for Nursing Help Shape Good Nurses

In Conclusion

Nursing Code of Ethics in Nursing

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