Ana Code Of Ethics For Nursing

The Code of Ethics for Nurses was originally written in 1988 by an American Nurses Association (ANA) Committee on Nursing Practice. Since then, it has been revised several times to reflect the progress of nursing in America and its increased interaction with other health care fields. Today, the ANA Code of Ethics is composed of five principles:

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.

As a professional, the nurse is committed to the welfare of the patient and acts with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual. The nurse does not permit considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes (e.g., age), or the nature of health problems (e.g., contagiousness) to influence delivery of care.

Exceptions:

• When it is necessary to protect patients from harm by others in their environment
• When it is necessary for safety concerns

The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.

The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community. The nurse accepts this commitment as a sacred trust and strives to enhance health and well-being for individuals of all ages. The nurse acts with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity of each person; enlists others in care planning; advocates for patients’ rights; provides continuity of care through collaboration with other members of the healthcare team.

The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety and rights of the patient.

The nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to protect the health, safety and rights of the patient.

The nurse is a patient advocate. She/he protects her/his patients’ right to informed consent regarding their care and treatment. The nurse maintains confidentiality in all matters related to the delivery of nursing services unless disclosure is required by law or court order. The nurse assists patients with making informed choices about their treatment options based on their unique needs; she/he supports them in making decisions that are consistent with their personal values while making recommendations that are based on scientific evidence as well as clinical judgment when appropriate. The nurse delegates tasks appropriately (e.g., delegating responsibilities according to skill level) considering individual competence, capability and experience; she/he is responsible for individual nursing practice within his/her scope of practice; she determines appropriate delegation through a collaborative process involving communication between members of the interdisciplinary team (IDT).

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.

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.

The nurse uses effective communication skills to promote collaboration and interaction with patients, families, members of the health care team and other individuals who are part of their patients’ lives. The nurse communicates effectively with all those involved in patient care including other disciplines when necessary to ensure safe delivery of quality nursing services.

The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.

The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth. The realization that one’s own behavior can affect the welfare of those whom one serves is vital in protecting patients from harm. Through self-appraisal, nurses can assess their own needs for continuing education or assistance with problems that may interfere with providing care; thus they are able to meet these obligations effectively.

The ethical principle at play here is referred to as beneficence—the duty of care for others’ well-being.

The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving healthcare environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality healthcare and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.

The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving healthcare environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality healthcare and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action. Nurses have a duty to advocate for safe and healthy working conditions. In addition to advocating for safe patient care environments, nurses also have a responsibility to advocate for healthy patient care environments that are free from environmental hazards such as chemical exposure or dusts that may be injurious to patients who are immunocompromised or elderly.

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.

Professional associations are responsible for articulating nursing values, maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and shaping social policy.

The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration and knowledge development.

As a member of an integrated health care team, the nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration and knowledge development. As part of this professional responsibility, each nurse assumes responsibility for self-development and lifelong learning in order to be able to provide optimal quality nursing care consistent with current standards of practice. It is also expected that nurses are involved within their community as advocates for health promotion and disease prevention activities at the individual level as well as within a broader context recognizing the interdependence between communities, nations and global society.

The Code of Ethics for Nurses is the foundation that guides nurses to make the right decisions in their day-to-day work. It helps them to be responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice, so they can provide optimum patient care. The Code also helps nurses develop their professional identity by providing a set of values and principles that promote high standards of nursing practice. The profession of nursing as represented by associations and their members is also responsible for articulating these values, maintaining integrity within its practice as well as shaping social policy