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Provision 6 of the ANA Code of Ethics

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Provision 6 of the ANA Code of Ethics

Provision 6 of the ANA Code of Ethics states that the nurse, through both collective and

individual effort, develops, maintains, and enhances the ethical working environment and

provides conditions of employment that are conducive, safe, and quality healthcare

(Poorchangizi et al., 2019). Provision 6 of the ANA Code of Ethics enhances patient safety and

improves patient outcomes in several important ways. These include firstly, promoting virtues

such as integrity, respect, moderation, and industry. Integrity ensures that nurses are responsible

for the work they do and thus improving possibilities of better outcomes. Respect for colleagues

and patients ensures harmony exists in the working environment. When harmony in the working

environment is maintained, nurses are likely to consult and effectively work as a team to ensure

that patient outcomes are improved (Poorchangizi et al., 2019). Additionally, industry among

nurses ensures that all patients are attended to adequately. The need for is even more important

when emergencies and understaffing occur.

Furthermore, nurses’ virtues extend beyond that which is expected of everyone including

skill, knowledge, wisdom, compassion, patience, altruism, honesty, and courage. Nurses cherish

these virtues and therefore strive to create and sustain morally ethical environments (Schmidt &

McArthur, 2018). Nurses convert these virtues into action by doing what is right for their

colleagues and patients at the workplace. They enhance ethical practice by helping formulate

procedures and clear policies that develop ethical guidelines. By supporting environments that

are designed for the fair, equitable, and just treatment of every patient and nursing practitioner,

nurses groom excellent nursing practices (Schmidt & McArthur, 2018). Ethical nursing practices

in the working environment survive through the vigilance of nurses and the motivation o

maintain them. Through advocacy for fair treatment of patients and employees, nurses help
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maintain high moral standards and promote patient security as well as improve health outcomes

for their patients.

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References

Poorchangizi, B., Borhani, F., Abbaszadeh, A., Mirzaee, M., & Farokhzadian, J. (2019). The

importance of professional values from nursing students’ perspective. BMC nursing,

18(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-019-0351-1

Schmidt, B. J., & McArthur, E. C. (2018, January). Professional nursing values: A concept

analysis. In Nursing forum (Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 69-75). https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12211