The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

This is reflected in professional practice when the nurse works to assure equal treatment under the law and equal access to quality health care. a. Example: The nurse supports and promotes fairness and nondiscrimination in the delivery of care. These professional values provide the foundation for nursing practice and guide a nurse’s interactions with patients and clients. In addition to values, ethical nurses should have several essential virtues, or human excellencies, that enable them to be responsible human beings: competence, compassionate caring, subordination of self-interest to patient interest, self-effacement, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, intelligence, practical wisdom, humility, and

Each nurse is expected to follow the standards set out by the code of ethics from the American Nurse Association (ANA) and from his or her place of employment in order to practice morally. The ANA's code of ethics highlights that a nurse should care for all patients equally regardless of race, sex, creed, sexual orientation, medical diagnosis or source of payment (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle & Cheever, 2010). The nurse must be committed to the care and protection of the patient and is responsible for the patient's total health which includes their healthcare environment. The nurse helps to uphold these standards by using the most current information to implement evidenced-based practice and by collaborating professionally with other care providers to treat the patient. Additionally, a nurse must use all available resources to effect positive changes in the nursing field as a whole (Smeltzer et al., 2010).

Nursing is a profession that prides itself in integrity, honesty and trustworthiness. True nursing revolves around service and commitment to the wellbeing of others, prevention of illness, and promotion of good health. I believe this is the hallmark of nursing. My philosophy of nursing is summed up in one abridged sentence; “Treat all patients the same way you would want your family members to be treated”. The implication of this statement is that patients must be given the best quality of care regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, socioeconomic status, religious preference, or whatever poor judgement they must have made which may have resulted in their need for care.

A code of ethics are ethical principles that govern a particular line of work. These codes offer guidance to people when making decisions. The American Nursing Association is an organization that created the code of ethics so that nurses have a guide on making ethical decisions when a dilemma arises. There are about nine nursing code of ethics that nurses have to follow when they are working in the health-care field. The ANA Code of Ethics I think I will excel at is the part about the nurse practices with the compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and personal attributes of every person, without prejudice (Catalano, 2015).

There are a number of skills that public health nurses need to possess in order to provide ethical, client centered care. Nurses need to have the ability to identify ethical issues; use ethical decision making, understand the determinants of health; understand the basic concepts of justice, virtue and human rights; and build and maintain public trust (Thomas, 2004). These foundational skills align with the ANA code of ethics which define the ethical practice of nursing and guide nurses in their decision making. Furthermore, in our litigious society, case managers are concerned with the ethical-legal conflict in which they provide case management, obey the law, meet licensing requirement and regulations, please their employers and still act

Nurses who demonstrate altruism provide quality care to every patient they treat. Nurses with this value will not let the varying beliefs of their patients influence the care they provide their patients. Social justice means providing equal resources to all people. Nurses who display this value, work towards providing all their patients with the resources necessary to maintain their health. As nurses consider the values expected of them they must also remember their personal core

With each patient we encounter we must show them respect as individuals. It does not matter what the medical condition is, race, ethnicity, culture, religion or gender of the individual. The dignity of a person must be protected. As nurses we must respect the uniqueness of each individual we care for, as this is a fundamental right of all humans. A person with dignity feels a sense of self-worth and as nurses we must do our best to help our patients maintain that feeling of worthiness.

In nursing, moral values are an important part of this profession and the code of ethics emphasizes in them. In the code of ethics it notes that nurses must have integrity such as commitment, honesty, loyalty and responsibility. Nurses must show commitment towards their patient as an individual, family, a group or a community. Nurses must also show commitment in protecting the privacy of the patient by not divulging any patient information without the patients consent. The professional commitment of advocating for and striving to protect a patient’s privacy, health and rights will improve the nurse-patient communication.

personal values, such as respect, responsibility, and obligation are dependent on the moral attitude of the nurse. Professional attitudes in nursing comprise of inclinations, feelings and emotions that conform to their principles and serve as the basis for their behavior. Professional behavior or behavioral professionalism however is behaving in a manner to achieve optimal outcomes in professional tasks and interactions. Nurses must always be committed to the client at all times. In case the family and community are included in decision-making, she must be accommodative to their ideas whether even in cases where she does not agree.

According to the Code of ethics (2015) the nurse must have respect for all persons regardless of their situation. “The worth of a person is not affected by illness, ability, socioeconomic status, functional status, or proximity to death” (Code of ethics, 2015, p. 1). The nurse takes on a professional role by initiating care that is free of judgment or prejudice, thus optimizing standards of practice in the code of ethics. Provision one further discusses standards of care by regarding a patient’s self-determination. It states that the patient has the right to make informed decisions about their care based on their own personal beliefs, and have the right to accept or refuse care at any point in time (Code