Code of Ethics for Nurses

The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses helps set forth a framework for dealing with the ethical implication of nurses response in a public health crisis. 

Nurses ethical obligations come from many different sources, but one formal source is the professional code of ethics. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses (see Table 6.1) proscribes the ethical obligations of nurses, is nonnegotiable in nature, and expresses the profession s commitment to society (ANA, 2001). Nurses can also turn to the broader field of bioethics for additional resources. 

Source Reprinted with permission from the American Nurses Association (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington, DC Author. 

International Council of Nurses (ICN). (2000). Code of ethics for nurses. Geneva, Switzerland ICN. 

Nursing Code of Ethics. Some basic foundational principles of nursing are contained in the Code of Ethics for Nurses. The code states that nurses must respect patients and treat them with dignity, regardless of the patient s social or economic status or health problem. It says that nurses primary commitment is to patients and their needs, and nurses should promote the health of patients and protect their safety and rights. Further, nurses must take responsibility and be accountable for their nursing... 

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nursee... 

Ethically, the restriction of movement of a potentially infectious person is highly problematic. It violates the core of the ANA Code of Ethics, respect for the inherent dignity of individuals—the nurse s primary commitment to the patient (ANA, 2001). In the event of a public health emergency, a nurse may have a corresponding obligation to the community. The nurse should work to resolve the dilemma in such a way to ensure patient safety, guard the patient s best interests and preserve the professional integrity of the nurse (ANA, 2001, p. 10). 

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