Ethics has been an integral part of nursing since the early beginnings of our profession. The first nursing code of ethics, A Code for Professional Nurses, was formally adopted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in 1950. Much has changed in the health care environment since then, but the responsibility of nurses to act in an ethical manner has not.
This 2015 edition is a revision of the 2001 Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements. The purpose of this update was to review and incorporate any changes in health care and clinical practice. A steering committee was convened for the revision, representing various nursing roles, practice settings, and geographical areas across the United States. ANA has been working on this update for 4 years, starting with an online public survey leading to the first revision, which was then posted for public comment. All of these comments were...
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Continuing Education The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements informs decision making about ethical violations
by nurses and nursing education programs. The Code is the nursing profession’s ethical standard of practice and nursing’s contract with society. Nurse practice acts (NPAs) and the standards of practice are the profession’s legal standard. This article describes the nine provisions of the Code and provides cases of ethical violations and the disciplinary actions that were taken. The intent of this article is to serve as an educational resource on how the Code can be used with NPAs to support
nurse regulators in their decision making. Boards of nursing Code of Ethics for Nurses ethics nurse practice acts nursing regulation Copyright © 2016 National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Keywords
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This book is the definitive framework for ethical analysis and decision-making for RNs across all practice levels, roles and settings. Revisions were made in response to the complexities of modern nursing, to simplify and more clearly articulate the content, to anticipate advances in health care, and to incorporate aids that would make it richer, more accessible, and easier to use.
The Code, consisting of nine provisions and the accompanying interpretive statements:
Provides a
succinct statement of the ethical values, obligations, and duties of every individual who enters the nursing profession.
- Serves as the profession’s nonnegotiable ethical standard.
- Expresses nursing’s own understanding of its commitment to society.
The Code is particularly useful to in today’s health care environment because it reiterates the fundamental values and commitments of the nurse (Provisions 1–3), identifies the boundaries of duty and loyalty (Provisions 4–6), and describes the duties of the nurse that extend beyond individual patient encounters (Provisions 7–9).
This revision retains interpretive statements for each provision that provide more specific guidance for practice. The statements are responsive to the contemporary context of nursing and recognize the larger scope of nursing’s concern in relation to health. It also includes another innovation: links to foundational and supplemental documents, which will be available later in 2015.
ANA’s Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements is the promise that nurses are doing their best to provide care for their patients and their communities and are supporting each other in the process so that all nurses can fulfill their ethical and professional obligations. It is important tool that can be used now as leverage to a better future for nurses, patients and health care. This Code is a reflection of the proud ethical heritage of nursing, a guide for all nurses now and into the future.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements informs decision making about ethical violations by nurses and nursing education programs. The Code is the nursing profession’s ethical standard of practice and nursing’s contract with society. Nurse practice acts (NPAs) and the standards of practice are the profession’s legal standard. This article describes the nine provisions of the Code and provides cases of ethical violations and the disciplinary actions that were taken. The intent of this article is to serve as an educational resource on how the Code can be used with NPAs to support nurse regulators in their decision making.
Keywords
- Boards of nursing
- Code of Ethics for Nurses
- ethics
- nurse practice acts
- nursing regulation
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DOI: //doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(16)31073-0
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© 2016 National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.