The Code of Ethics is based on a body of moral and ethical principles. These principles have been translated into statements of standards which will guide the nursing students’ integrity and their conduct while engaged in learning within the nursing program and later as a nurse in practice. Conduct violating these statements will constitute reason for departmental warning or for departmental withdrawal from the nursing program. American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA, 2015) Provisions: 1. The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person. 2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community or population. 3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient. 4. The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; makes decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to promote health and to provide optimal care. 5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth. 6. The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care. 7. The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy. 8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities. 9. The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
American Nurses Association Clinical Standards Standards describe the profession’s responsibility to the public and the outcomes for which nurses are accountable. American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Practice Standards of Practice: The six Standards of Practice describe a competent level of nursing care as demonstrated by the nursing process. Assessment – Collects comprehensive data pertinent to the client’s health or the situation. Diagnosis – Analyzes the assessment data to determine the diagnoses or issues. Outcomes Identification – Identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the healthcare consumer or the situation. Planning – Develops a plan of care that prescribes strategies and interventions to attain expected outcomes. Implementation – Implements the interventions identified in the plan. Elaborating this standard are four others: 5A. Coordination of Care, 5B. Health Teaching and Health Promotion, 5C. Consultation, 5D. Prescriptive Authority and Treatment. Evaluation – Evaluates progress toward attainment of outcomes. Standards of Professional Performance The ten Standards for Professional Performance describe a competent level of behavior in the professional role. 7. Ethics –Practices ethically. 8. Education –Attains knowledge that reflects current nursing practice. 9. Evidence-Based Practice and Research – Integrates evidence and research findings into practice. 10. Quality of Practice – Contributes to quality nursing practice. 11. Communication – Communicates effectively in a variety of formats in all areas of practice. 12. Leadership – Demonstrates leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession. 13. Collaboration – Collaborates with the healthcare consumer, family and others in the conduct of nursing practice. 14. Professional Practice Evaluation – Evaluates her or his own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations. 15. Resource Utilization – Utilizes appropriate resources to plan and provide service that are safe, effective and financially responsible. 16. Environmental Health – Practices in an environmentally safe and healthy manner.