Nusing Code of Ethics

Ethics, generally, refers to a set of actions or behaviors common to a specific group of people. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has formulated a "Code of Ethics for Nurses." The main focus of the "Code" is the delivering of quality patient care in a way that is respectful of the patient and patient's family and the maintaining of the "integrity of the profession."

History

• The roots of the ANA "Code" are usually traced back to the "Nightingale Pledge," written in 1893 in honor of the famous nursing pioneer, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). It was adopted readily by nursing schools and was, until recently, recited by graduates entering into professional nursing. The ANA, and most health care agencies, see this as the first codified set of ethics. The modern ANA "Code" was adopted in 1950, and has been periodically revised, according to Leah Curtin and M. Josephine Flaherty in "Nursing Ethics."

Features

• Currently, the ANA "Code" has 9 articles. Whereas the "Nightingale Pledge" contained articles pertaining to the personal conduct of the nurse, the "Code" contains articles pertaining to professional conduct; patient dignity, commitment to the patient, patient rights, optimum patient care, personal and professional growth, improving health environments, advancement of the profession, collaboration to meet health needs, and articulating nursing values. Mariah Snyder and Michaelene Mirr, in "Advanced Practice Nursing," explain that the "Nightingale Pledge" represented "norms of value." These norms emphasized the qualities of the nurse. The current "Code" focuses on right or wrong actions, which are determined by what is in the best interest of the patient.

Function

• According to Curtin and Flaherty, the "Code" serves "to inform the nurse and society of the profession's expectations and requirements in ethical matters." The "Code" and its interpretive statements "provide a framework" for the nurse to make ethical decisions and to discharge responsibilities to the public, to other members of the health team, and to the profession. According to Ruth Tappen, Sally Weiss, and Diane Whitehead in "Essentials of Nursing Leadership and Management," the "Code" serves to illustrate the profession's trust and responsibility given to it by society. It also serves as a "mechanism" for self-regulation within professional nursing.

Significance

• According to Snyder and Mirr, the "Code" is based on several principles: Autonomy,independence of actions; Beneficence, the obligation to help others while not putting oneself at risk; Nonmaleficence, the obligation to do no harm; Veracity, truthfulness; Confidentiality, respecting the patient's right to privacy; Fidelity, adhering to the standards of the profession; Justice, dispensing of care as resources would allow. Because of the foundational nature of these principles, Curtin and Flaherty argue that each nurse has a personal obligation and corporate responsibility to ensure that colleagues adhere to the "Code."

Effects

• According to Joyce and Henry Thompson in "Professional Ethics in Nursing," the articles, or precepts, of the "Code" act as "moral prescriptions." The interpretive statements serve to explain the ethical justification for each article. Curtin and Flaherty point out that violations of the "Code" may result in reprimand,censure, suspension, or expulsion from the profession.