Ethics in Nursing

Ethics in Nursing

Susanna Petrie

University of Phoenix

Ethics in Nursing

Albert Schweitzer summed ethics up beautifully when he said, "A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives" (Schweitzer). Nursing fundamentally embodies this sentiment. Although nursing is a career built on caring and compassion, it is fraught with ethical dilemmas that necessitate a moral compass to guide its professionals. Possessing a code of ethics moves nursing from a discipline to a profession and gives its practitioners a framework to base their everyday decisions on.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) in its definition of nursing ethics states that nurses have the ethical responsibility "to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering." These key ethical principles define the universal obligation for nurses and supports the patient's right to dignity and autonomy. It demands that nursing care be culturally sensitive, respectful of right to life and death choices, and blind to age, disability, color, gender, sexual orientation, and social or political status (The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses, 2005).

In 1950 the American Nurses Association (ANA) adopted a code of ethics for nursing with the most recent revision in 2001. The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements includes nine provisions of nonnegotiable, ethical obligations for every nurse (Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, 2010). The provisions can be broken down into three sections: Provisions one through three dealing with the core commitments and values of nursing, provisions four through six detailing the limitations of duties, and provisions seven through nine addressing the nurse's duty outside the nurse-patient relationship (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006, p. 56).

This formal document that outlines the code of ethics for nurses serves many functions. Chiefly, it creates a framework that standardizes nursing practice and establishes accountability to that standard. Although it does not speak of specifics, a nurse may use this code for general guidance in clinical decision making. This is beneficial in preventing nurses from using her own values or morals in sensitive nursing situations that may conflict with the best interest of the patient. The code of ethics also conveys to the patient and the community the commitment that nursing has for them. Additionally, it serves as a reminder to the nurse of the immense and privileged responsibility she assumes when caring for a patient (Blais et al., 2005).

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