Code of Ethics
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Health Care Ethics and Social Responsibility
HCS/335
Patricia Tobin
April 25, 2011
Code of Ethics
Nurses around the world are to follow a strict code of ethics. The American Nurses Association (ANA) of 2001 Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements outlines the clear goals and values of the nursing and the ethical practice. This ethically practice prepares nurses to deal with the challenges that will arise in their practice. The nurse’s code of ethics provides guidance for behaviors, ethical responsibilities, decision-making, and relationships. This ethical practice is the foundation for The Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses and should be used with existing regulations and laws and professional standards in guiding current and new nurse practitioners. During this paper the code of ethics for registered nurses will be examined along with the clarity of goals, identifying ethical principles, and grievance procedures. I will also give an opinion to the feasibility of enforcing the code of ethics and recommendations for strengthening potential weak area of nursing code of ethics as it is written. Nurse practitioners are responsible for safeguarding patient’s private information while providing care to the best of his or her abilities.
The evolution of the nursing profession and their goals has become more complex within the last century. The College Nursing Programs. (2009) website nurses have an ethical obligation to provide all patients the same standard of care and compassion, regardless of the patient’s nature of the illness. The decisions that new and current nurses encounter daily, range from life and death decisions to the responsibility of ensuring patient safety while operating new medical technology. The profession of nursing is very reputable and allows those involved to be part of a profession which is self-regulating. The Code of...