Professional Nursing Standards

A code of ethics and standards of care govern the professional behavior of nurses. In the U.S., the American Nursing Association provides these regulations, and other countries have equivalent governing boards.

Code of Ethics

• A nursing code of ethics defines the principles by which nurses provide health care to their patients. The code of ethics includes respect for the diversity of all clients, commitment to the patient, and accountability for individual nursing practices.

Standards of Care

• The standards of care detail the expected level of quality of all nursing activities throughout the entire nursing process. These involve assessment, diagnosis, identification of outcomes, planning, implementation and evaluation. Standards of care are important if a legal dispute arises over whether a nurse carried out her duties appropriately.

Standards of Performance

• These standards detail the desired level of performance against which actual behavior is measured. They serve as objective guidelines for nurses to be accountable for their nursing practices and provide a method to assure patients that they are receiving a high quality of health care.