Code of ethics: Nursing

Nurse Jocelyn works as a home health nurse. When at the market on one of her days off, she sees one of her friends, Sam, who says, “My aunt just told me that you are her home health nurse! She says that you have been coming to her house ever since she got out of the hospital a few weeks ago. My aunt says that you take such great care of her. Has she been doing her physical therapy exercises like she’s supposed to? I know you are supposed to keep information confidential but my aunt wouldn’t mind you talking to me!” Nurse Jocelyn wants to answer her friend’s question but also wants to respect her client’s privacy. She is experiencing an ethical dilemma but she can use The Code of Ethics for Nurses to help determine how to respond.

To begin, ethics refers to moral principles that guide a person’s behavior and choices. Since ethics are determined by social standards, they are referred to as being externally driven, meaning they are not decided by a single person. Ethics help us to figure out what is “right” and what is “wrong.” Usually, ethical principles are not written down; they are considered common knowledge within a community. For example, stealing is considered “wrong” for most people. But professional groups, like doctors and nurses, often have a more formal, written summary of ethical guidelines. This is called a code of ethics and is used to inform the moral decision making of those in the group.

Now, a code of ethics provides a written statement of the ethical code of the profession. It also outlines a standard of care within the discipline, as well as identifies the purpose of the profession or why they do what they do.

So the profession of nursing has its own code of ethics written by the American Nursing Association, or ANA. The Code of Ethics for Nurses was first published in the 1950s but it’s updated often to reflect changes in the nursing profession. Some of the most recent changes discuss the ethical responsibility of protecting client privacy in a time of increased use of technology and the responsibility of providing client education to help clients make informed decisions for their care.

Now, the ANA Nursing Code of Ethics for Nurses has nine provisions, or guiding principles, for ethical nursing care. Let’s take a look at each provision.

Number one. “The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.” This means the nurse will treat every client without prejudice or judgment and accept the values of each client even if it does not match their own personal beliefs. This includes treating each client equitability no matter their income, race, or gender. An example of this provision in action is when a nurse is working at the triage desk in the emergency department, they would not delay the care of a client because of their race. Instead, the nurse should treat each client equitably and only consider the severity of their symptoms when assigning a priority for care.

Number two. “The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population.” This means that client care is the nurse’s priority. So, when the charge nurse has a busy shift, a schedule to make, supply orders to place, and a client requesting assistance, the greatest importance should be focused on client care. This provision also includes reporting any conflict of interest you might have in caring for a client. For example, if your neighbor is admitted to the unit you work on and you have been assigned to care for them, that might be considered a conflict of interest since your personal relationship can potentially impact your judgment when delivering care.

Number three. “The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.” This addresses the nurse’s role in client advocacy. Advocacy can look different depending on your work setting, but might include supporting your client’s care decisions, reporting issues with safety at your institution, or working with political leaders to influence policies that affect nursing and client care. This provision also includes the need to uphold client privacy. So as a nurse you should make sure the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPPA is upheld by safeguarding a client’s private health information.