CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

As you begin your educational journey into nursing, you will be off to a good start by knowing the Code of Ethics for Nurses. The Code of Ethics was developed by the American Nurses’ Association as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities that outlines the ethical obligations of the nursing profession and congruent with the provision of quality nursing care to all clients in a variety of healthcare settings.

1. The nurse in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.
2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.
3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.
4. The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care.
5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve the integrity and safety, to maintain competence and to continue personal and professional growth.
6. The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving health care environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.
7. The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contribution to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.
8. The nurse collaborates with other health professional and the public in promoting community, national and international efforts to meet health needs.
9. The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice and for shaping social policy.

Source: American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics with interpretative statements. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-ofEthics-For-Nurses.html