In the workplace, nurses face a unique power dynamic. Patients, often sick or injured, depend on them for compassion and care. It’s crucial for nurses to follow clear ethical principles. A good starting point is to read about these nursing principles. Genuine desire to provide the best care leads nurses to know and apply these ethical principles in their daily work.
Research indicates that both nurses and patients benefit when nurses adhere strictly to the Code of Ethics. A study in the Journal of Advanced Nursing showed that nurses following the Nursing Code of Ethics reported better job satisfaction, leading to improved patient care quality. Another study in the Journal of Professional Nursing found that adherence to the Nursing Code of Ethics correlated with higher patient satisfaction and improved communication between nurses and patients.
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What is the Nursing Code of Ethics?
The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, known as “the Code,” is an official guide by the American Nurses Association (ANA). It outlines nursing responsibilities regarding the quality of nursing care and ethical obligations. It governs nurses’ behavior during vulnerable moments when patients trust them with their care and potentially life-and-death decisions. Revised every decade, the Code keeps pace with healthcare and technological advances, global health understanding, inclusivity, and the expansion of nursing roles. While nurses learn the Code during their education, staying updated on revisions is vital for delivering high-quality care in an evolving healthcare landscape. High ethical standards are crucial because nurses regularly face ethical decisions, balancing patient advocacy with adherence to ethical principles.
Four Ethical Principles in Nursing
Nursing is guided by four ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. These principles help nurses navigate ethical dilemmas and make decisions promoting patient well-being.
- Patient autonomy means that a person has the right to decide about their healthcare based on what they believe and value. Nurses must support this by giving patients the information they need to make choices, respecting those choices, and standing up for their right to say yes or no to medical procedures.
- The principle of beneficence requires nurses to always act in the best interests of their patients. Using what they know and their skills, nurses should provide excellent care and work to make their patients well. This might include things like giving comfort, offering support, giving medication, or teaming up with other healthcare professionals to ensure patients get the best care possible.
- Justice is all about treating every patient fairly and without bias. Nurses need to give the same level of care to all patients, no matter where they come from, their race, gender, or social status. This could involve speaking up for the rights of patients who might be overlooked or working to fix differences in how people can get healthcare and the outcomes they have.
- Non-maleficence, which means “do no harm,” makes sure nurses pick treatments that help without hurting the patient. Nurses must know about the possible risks and benefits of what they do and take steps to cause as little harm as possible while bringing the most benefit to their patients.
These ethical principles form a framework guiding ethical nursing practice and nurses in the healthcare system.
9 Provisions for Nurses
The nursing profession has a set of guidelines known as the Code, consisting of nine provisions that supplement the overarching ethical principles. These provisions underscore the significance of approaching every individual with empathy and regard, a foundational aspect of nursing. Through this approach, nurses can establish trustworthy connections with patients, fostering a conducive environment for delivering high-quality care.
1. Nurses should practice with compassion and respect, recognizing the inherent dignity and unique attributes of each person.
2. The primary commitment of a nurse is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population.
3. Nurses are advocates for and protectors of the rights, health, and safety of the patient.
4. Nurses possess authority, accountability, and responsibility for their practice, making decisions aligned with promoting health and providing optimal care.
5. Nurses owe the same duties to themselves as to others, including promoting health and safety, preserving character and integrity, maintaining competence, and fostering personal and professional growth.
6. Nurses, individually and collectively, contribute to establishing, maintaining, and enhancing the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions conducive to safe, quality healthcare.
7. In all roles and settings, nurses advance the profession through research, scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the formulation of nursing and health policies.
8. Nurses collaborate with other health professionals and the public to uphold human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
9. The nursing profession, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain professional integrity, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
Why Ethical Principles Matter in Nursing
The application of ethical principles in nursing holds significance as it establishes a universal standard for robust nurse-patient relationships, crucial for effective collaboration in healthcare settings and the provision of quality patient care. The Code of Ethics serves as a guide for nurses, aiding them in navigating challenging situations and making decisions aligned with the best interests of their patients. By adhering to this ethical compass, nurses can strike a balance between delivering optimal care and respecting the autonomy of patients, thereby nurturing trust and mutual respect in the nurse-patient relationship.
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