ETHICS AND STANDARDS IN NURSING

JOEL REY U. ACOB

College of Nursing
APPLICABLE CODES OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS

▪ Code of good governance

Purposes:
- promotion and establishment of ethical awareness and
competency among Filipino professionals to make them
accountable to their public liability and fully fulfill their
professional obligation to their clients
- enhancement and maintenance of high professional, technical
and ethical standards in their practice of their profession
-not only the improvement of their technical and ethical
proficiency, but also the awareness and knowledge of modern
trends and technology to deliver competitive professionals
SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT OF THE CODE OF
GOOD GOVERNANCE:

🞭 Service to others
- professionals are committed to 1. a life of
service to others; 2. protect life, liberty and public
welfare; 3. to serve others and be prepared for
heroic sacrifice and genuine selflessness
🞭 Integrity and objectivity
- professionals are required to 1. undertake their
responsibilities with the highest sense of integrity
and imbued with nationalism and spiritual values; 2.
maintain objectivity at all times, be free of conflicts
and refrain from engaging in any activity that would
prejudice their abilities to carry out their duties
ethically; 3. avoid making any representation that
would likely cause a reasonable person to
misunderstand or be deceived.
🞭 Professional competence
- must equipped with a certain level of
competence necessary such as knowledge,
technical skills and attitudes and experience to
carry out professional services.
🞭 Solidarity and Teamwork
-nurture and support the principle of one
organization for all the members. They are obliged
to 1. put the broader interest of one profession
above one’s personal ambition and preferences
through the spirit of solidarity; 2. observe ethical
principles and pursue continuing professional
development, and social and civil responsibility
through teamwork.
🞭 Social and Civil responsibility
-committed to perform their duties with due
considerations of public’s interest. 1. serve the
client and public with professional concern in a
manner consistent with their duties; 2. actively
contribute to the attainment of the country’s
national objectives.
🞭 Global competitiveness
1. face challenges of a more dynamic and
interconnected world; 2. rise up practices on a par
with global best practices.
🞭 Equality to all professions
1. treating their colleagues with respect and
maintaining fair dealings with one another;
2.believing that no group of professionals is
superior or above others; 3. performing equally
important, yet distinct service to society
ICN CODE OF ETHICS
🞭 Four Principal elements of ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses:

- Nurses and people –according to ICN, nurses has 4 major

responsibilities. 1. give nursing care to the people who
require or need it; 2. promote an environment in which the
human rights, values and customs and spiritual beliefs of
the individual, family and community are respected; 3.
ensure that individual receives sufficient information on
which to base consent for care and related treatment; 4.
hold in confidence personal information and use
indiscriminate judgment in sharing this information.
🞭 Nurses and practice
-pursuant to ICN code of Ethics, a nurse has 5
responsibilities in the practice of nursing 1. to carry
personal responsibility and accountability for nursing
practice; 2. to maintain a standard of personal health such
that the ability to provide care is not compromised; 3. to
use judgment regarding individual competence when
accepting and delegating responsibility; 4.to ensure that
the use of technology and scientific advances are
compatible with the safety, dignity and rights of people.
🞭 Nurses and the profession
- Under the ICN code of ethics, a nurse has 3
important responsibilities to profession. 1. assume
the role in determining and implementing acceptable
standards of clinical nursing practice, management,
research and education; 2. to be active in developing
a core of research-based professional knowledge; 3.
to participate in creating and maintaining safe,
equitable social and economic working conditions in
nursing through a professional organization.
🞭 Nurses and co-workers
1. to sustain cooperative relationship with co-
workers in nursing and other fields; 2. to take
appropriate action to safeguard the individuals,
families and communities when their health in
endangered by a co-worker or any other person
AMENDED CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

🞭 Nurses and people

🞭 Nurses and practice
🞭 Nurses and co-workers
🞭 Nurses and society
🞭 Nurses and the profession
🞭 Responsibility of the nurse to the patient
🞭 Responsibility of the nurse to the physician
🞭 Responsibility of nurses to their colleagues
🞭 Responsibility of nurses toward themselves
🞭 Personal grooming
- female nurses are advised to 1. use moderate make
up and have a neat hair style; 2. wear uniforms that
are not too short nor tight-fitting that would tend to
restrict movements, or expose unnecessarily any part
of the body; 3. have clean uniforms and a clean
body, and use anti-perspirant or deodorant if
necessary; 4. wear a cap; 5. not wear jewelry such as
earrings, necklaces or bracelets; 5. not use uniforms
in public, in shopping or in going to market.
ANSAP CODE OF ETHICS:

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
DEDICATION TO GOD AND PEOPLE

🞭 Integrate spiritual aspects to the total care of

clients
🞭 Assume the provision of non-discriminative ,
non- prejudicial care
RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR QUALITY
NURSING SERVICE

🞭 Assume responsibility and accountability for effective

and efficient administration of nursing services congruent
to the philosophy and objectives of the institution
🞭 Utilize participative management in the administration of
nursing service
🞭 Provide the nursing personnel an environment to
motivate them to perform their best
🞭 Collaborate and coordinate maximally its services with
the health team, various departments, communities and
significant others
LEADERSHIP AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE

🞭 Possess the educational qualification and experience as provided

by the Phil Nsg Act of 1991 ( RA 7164) now ( RA 9173)
🞭 Behave according to Filipino values and customs
🞭 Inspire a strong and collective commitment to the philosophy and
objective of the organization
🞭 Instill a high level of self-discipline and arouse pride and idealism
in working for the organizations
🞭 Exercise due process with honesty and fairness
🞭 Utilize appropriate parameters for selection, promotion,
recognition and dismissal of employees
🞭 Uphold privilege communication
🞭 Participate in the execution of justice when called upon to provide
expert opinion in nursing, health or medico-legal cases
RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR NURSING
PRACTICE

🞭 Utilize established and acceptable standards of

nursing practice and quality assurance programs
🞭 Establish, implement and monitor the quality of
nursing care needed and provided with consideration
to habits, customs, traditions of the clients and
community they serve
🞭 Uphold the sanctity of life by setting policies and
guidelines that protect life and prohibit its termination
🞭 Monitor health teaching programs that motivate
clients and family to participate in their own self-care
COMMITMENT TO THE NURSING PROFESSION

🞭 Employ professional nurses for nursing positions and ensure that

their licenses are current/updated
🞭 Plan, implement, monitor/evaluate staff development programs
and research
🞭 Recognize the vital role of nursing service to the quality of
education of students
🞭 Enjoin nurses to be active, participative and supportive members
of professional associations
🞭 Establish linkages and collegial relationship with other national
accredited organizations/ agencies concerned with the health of
the people and the education and welfare of nurses in the
country
SANCTION:

🞭 The ANSAP Code Ethics imposes a sanction for

dropping from the roster of membership a
member who is found guilty of a violation of
rules and regulations of BON, PRC and the Code
of Ethics for Nurses ( Article IV, Sec 5, ANSAP
Code)
COMPETENCY STANDARDS
IN NURSING PRACTICE
🞭 Provides sound decision making in the care of
individuals considering their beliefs and values
🞭 Indicators:
-identifies the problems
-gather data related to the problem
-analyzes the data gathered
-selects appropriate actions
-monitors the progress of the action taken
CORE COMPETENCY AREAS AND FUNCTIONS:

🞭 Adopted and approved pursuant to PRC-BON Resolution

No. 112, s.2005 has 11 competency areas.
🞭 It aims to 1. guide in developing a curriculum for
nursing; 2. framework in developing test syllabus for
entrants into the nursing profession; 3.tool for
performance evaluation among nurses; 4. basis for
advanced nursing practice and specialization; 5.
framework for developing a training curriculum for
nurses; 6. protection of the public from incompetent
practitioners; 6. yardstick for unethical and
unprofessional practice of nursing.
A. SAFE AND QUALITY
NURSING CARE
CORE COMPETENCIES:

🞭 Demonstrates knowledge based on the

health/illness status of individual/groups
🞭 Indicators:
-identifies the health needs of the patient
- explains the health status of the patient/group
🞭 Promotes safety and comfort
🞭 Indicators:
-performs age-specific safety measures in all
aspects of patient care
-performs age-specific comfort measures in all
aspects of patient care
🞭 Sets priorities in nursing care based on
patients’ needs
🞭 Indicators:
- identify the priority needs of the patient
-analyzes the needs of patients
-determines appropriate nursing care to be
provided
🞭 Ensures continuity of Care
🞭 Indicators:
-refers identified problems to appropriate
individuals/ agencies
-establishes means of providing continuous
patient care
🞭 Administer medications and other health
therapeutics
🞭 Indicators:
-conforms to ten golden rules in medication
administration and health therapeutics
🞭 Utilizes the nursing process as framework for
nursing and performs comprehensive and
systematic nursing assessment
🞭 Indicators:
-obtain consent
-completes appropriate assessment forms
-performs effective assessment techniques
-obtain comprehensive client information
-maintains privacy and confidentiality
-identifies health needs
🞭 Formulates a plan of Care in collaboration
with patients and other members of the health
team
🞭 Indicators:
-includes patient and his family in care planning
-states expected outcomes in nursing intervention
-develops comprehensive patient care plan
-accomplishes patient-centered discharge plan
🞭 Implements NCP to achieve identified outcomes
🞭 Indicators:
-explains interventions to patient and his family
before carrying them out
-implements nursing intervention that is safe and
comfortable
-acts according to client’s health condition and needs
-performs nursing activities effectively and in a
timely manner
🞭 Evaluates progress toward expected outcomes
🞭 Indicators:
-monitors effectiveness of nursing interventions
-revises NCP when necessary
🞭 Responds to the urgency of the patient’s
condition
🞭 Indicators:
-identifies sudden changes in the patient's health
conditions
-implements immediate and appropriate
intervention
B. MANAGEMENT OF
RESOURCES
AND ENVIRONMENT
🞭 Organizes work load to facilitate patient care
🞭 Utilizes resources to support patient care
🞭 Ensures the functioning of resources
🞭 Checks proper functioning equipment
🞭 Maintains safe environment
C. HEALTH EDUCATION
🞭 Assesses the learning needs of the patient and
family
🞭 Develops health education plan based on assessed
and anticipated needs
🞭 Develops learning materials for health education
🞭 Implements the health education plan
🞭 Evaluates the outcome of health education
D. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
🞭 Adheres to practices in accordance with the
nursing law and other relevant legislation
including contracts, informed consent
🞭 Adheres to organizational policies and
procedures, local and national
🞭 Documents care rendered to patients
E. ETHICO-MORAL
RESPONSIBILITY
🞭 Respects the rights of individual/ group
🞭 Accepts responsibility and accountability for own
decisions and actions
🞭 Adheres to the national and international code of
ethics for nurses
F. PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
🞭 Identifies own learning needs
🞭 Pursues continuing education
🞭 Gets involved in professional organizations and civic
activities
🞭 Projects a professional image of a nurse
🞭 Possesses positive attitude towards change and
criticism
🞭 Performs function according to professional
standards
G. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
🞭 Gathers data for quality improvement
🞭 Participates in nursing audits and rounds
🞭 Identifies and reports variances
🞭 Recommends solutions to identified problems
H. RESEARCH
🞭 Gathers data using different methodologies
🞭 Recommends actions for implementation
🞭 Disseminates results of research findings
🞭 Applies research findings in nursing practice
I. RESEARCH MANAGEMENT
🞭 Records outcome of patient care
🞭 Maintains accurate and updated documentation of
patient care
🞭 Observes legal imperatives in record keeping
J. COMMUNICATION
🞭 Establishes rapport with patients, significant
others and members of the health team
🞭 Identifies verbal and non-verbal cues
🞭 Utilizes formal and informal channels
🞭 Responds to needs of individuals, family, group
and community
🞭 Uses appropriate information technology to
facilitate communication