Why professional ethics important to the nursing profession?

Professional ethics is well established in nursing. It is still part of moral science but it has something to do with our
obligations as nurses. Professional ethics consist of values, duties, rights and responsibilities on how nurses should
do their job professionally with tender, love and care towards their patients.

I think it is very important for the nursing profession to understand the code of ethics, since it serves as a
guide for professional ethics which involve your professional behavior and your obligations as a nurse. The
code gives details on the principles of providing safe service delivery and also the expected performance of
nurses by their patients, colleagues and even in the community.

Since nursing is a very complex and dynamic profession, it is a vital tool for nurses to know professional ethics
because, nurses deal with human lives. It reminds nurses of their primary focus which is centered around the care
and the rights of their patients. It is important to remember that being careless and irresponsible is not tolerated in
the nursing profession. Suspension from work, lawsuits, forfeiting certificates or worst, revocation of license as a
nurse are the possible results when nurses are not able to follow the code of ethics.

Professional ethics will only have a meaning if applied to the realities of nursing and health care in society. To
achieve its purpose, it should be well understood, internalized and used by nurses in all aspects of their work. It must
be applied by nurses throughout their work lives.

It has meaning only as a living document if applied to the realities of nursing and health care in a changing society.

All in all, professional ethics is important to not just for nursing profession but also in all professions since it serves as
a guide for action based on social values and needs.

Professional ethics is a familiar concept in nursing and provides an ethical code for nursing practice. Decisions that
are made about patient care are not totally independent.

For me, a nurse decision is vital creates a ripple effect and touches someone else in the health care field. One of the
purposes of professional ethics is to help nurses keep perspective and a balanced view regarding decisions.

Everyday ethics: the way nurses approach their practice and reflect on their ethical commitment to the people they
serve. It involves the nurses' attention to common ethical events such as protecting a person's physical privacy.

3. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality. - The privacy of the patients must be assured at all stages of his treatment.

Ethical violations: neglecting fundamental nursing obligations in a situation where the nurse knows that the action or
lack of action is not appropriate.

1. Right to Appropriate Medical Care and Humane Treatment. Every person has a right to health and medical care
corresponding to his state of health, without any discrimination and within the limits of the resources,
manpowerand competence available for health and medical care at the relevant time. The patient has the right to
appropriate health and medical care of good quality.

Ethical distress: situations in which nurses cannot fulfill their ethical obligations and commitments (i.e. their moral
agency), or they fail to pursue what they believe to be the right course of action, or fail to live up to their own
expectation of ethical practice, for one or more of the following reasons: error in judgment, insufficient personal
resolve or other circumstances truly beyond their control (Webster & Baylis, 2000).

According to patients’ bill of rights

Facing different kind of situations which involve ethics is part of the job as a nurse. Which is why it is important for a
nurse to know the code of ethics in order for a nurse to have a guide on how to do his/her job Properly and
efficiently. I think one thing that a nurse should remember is that, all patients have a right to be treated fairly and
equally and at the same time it is their duty to refrain from maltreatment and promote good health towards
patients. This is also supported by the patients’ bill of rights article 1. Right to Appropriate Medical Care and Humane
Treatment, this gives emphasis on giving the best quality, appropriate health and medical care to everyone.

made it clear that patients have the right to make decisions about their healthcare and decide to accept or refuse
treatment, however, they should expect to receive accurate and complete information about their conditions from
nurses who are taking care of them and make informed decisions based on the information shared to them.

This is highlighted in the patients’ bill of rights number 4. Right to Information wherein, the patient or his/her legal
guardian has a right to be informed of the result of the evaluation of the nature and extent of his/her disease.