Nursing Code of Ethics 1

Analysis of the Code of Ethics for Nurses

Kimberly Noumi

Nursing 332

Professor Joan Garity ED.D., R.N

October 2, 2008
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Analysis of the Code of Ethics for Nurses

The American Nurses Association ([ANA], 2005) created a Code of Ethics for

Nurses that outlines the basic responsibilities and obligations of a nurse who enters

this profession. In part one of the code, the ANA states that a nurse is responsible

for treating not only patients with dignity and respect, but also the patient’s families

and all of the people that are a part of the healthcare team. Effectively, it is the

responsibility of a nurse to look beyond social, economic status, disease, and

personal differences that may arise so as to practice nursing with the utmost

compassion and diligence (ANA, 2005).

Nurses are innately thought to be compassionate and respectful. The

interesting aspect of this section of the code is it mentions in an interpretive

statement within this provision the importance of understanding and recognizing

the worth of a person, regardless of the disease, loss of function or imminent

mortality that faces a person (ANA, 2005). Autonomy is the focus of each patient

throughout care. Over time a nurse is responsible to use prudence and discernment

when caring for a patient, all the while recognizing that the patient is human.

Patients deserve to be treated with dignity even when the nurse may be required to

provide more invasive care that may take away some of the dignity of the client. A

nurse is required to provide the most compassionate care under these difficult

circumstances.

The first provision of the Nursing Code of Ethics is a tool to recognize the

importance of the interactions of the nurse with patients, families, community and

colleagues. A nurse is a highly regarded individual in society and must pay

attention to all of the relationships that they may have within their practice to
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ensure the ultimate goal of providing exceptional health care to individuals and the

community. This care encompasses quality of life leading up to dignity in death.

In the maternal clinical setting, it is important to work with the healthcare

team within the clinical setting to allow patients and their families to experience the

birthing process in a positive and nurturing environment. This can be done by

treating each family individually, and listening to and being empathic to cultural,

socio-economic, religious and other differences that will be unique to each family.

As a nurse within the maternal healthcare team, one can provide care to families by

paying attention to needs on a case by case basis. The same is true for a patient in

a psychiatric setting, each individual is different. Special care needs to be applied

to these individuals and their families because of societal negative stigmas towards

psychiatric disease. The nurse is responsible for treating the individual with dignity

and no preconceived notions about that person or their situation. This will foster a

nurturing environment for the patient and their families. The most important thing

a nurse needs to be skilled at is to have a “tabula rasa” approach to all patient’s,

families, and colleagues. Nurses must bring the skills that have been learned

through practice and education, and a professional demeanor which will foster a

compassionate experience for the patient and their families as well as a positive

healthcare setting.
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References

American Nurses Association. (2005). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive

Statements. Retrieved

September 26, 2008, from

http://nursingworld.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe813.htm.

Haker, D. (2003) A Writer’s Reference (5th ed.). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.