4 Nurses, as members of a profession, must be aware that the code is nursing's contract with society and that nurses are committed to uphold specific ethical behaviors. Although the Code for Nurses was developed for the entire profession, not all nurses are aware of its requirements. A study of 514 nurses with varying educational backgrounds and practice settings found that fewer than 40 percent were familiar with the code. 7 Taking action Ethical practice requires both moral sensitivity and moral action. Moral sensitivity refers to the ability of a person to recognize moral problems as actual or potential conflicts in rights, duties, or principles.
Moral action refers to the ability to take appropriate action to resolve the ethical issue.
Without the ability to identify a moral aspect in a situation, further ethical decision making and action cannot occur. 1 Nurses often rely on intuition to resolve ethical conflicts, but this may not be the most effective method. Because they don't recognize the ethical dilemma, nurses may not take appropriate action. And even when they identify an ethical issue, not all nurses have the support needed to correct a questionable situation in which the patient's welfare may be in jeopardy. Or, nurses may not have access to forums where ethical discussions are encouraged.