Ethics in Nursing

What makes a code of ethics for Nurses important? Nurses are held to high ethical standards and their historical care ethic is deeply rooted throughout their education process. Respondents in a recent Gallup poll ranked Nurses above Doctors, Teachers, and Clergy when asked which profession they regarded as "the most honest and ethical."

The Code of Ethics defines the core ethical ideas, describes the desired behaviors, and reflects the ethical aspirations of the Nursing profession. It reveals Nursing to be, at its core, a morally significant relationship based upon trust between Nurse and patient. Nurses are acting as autonomous moral agents when they build these relationships and the Code of Ethics reminds them that they do not leave their moral agency at the front door of the hospital.

Nursing Code of Ethics (American Nursing Association)

• The Nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.
• The Nurse safeguards the client's right to privacy by judiciously potecting information of a confidential nature.
• The Nurse acts to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected by the incompetent, unethical, or illegal practice of any person.
• The Nurse assumes responsibility and accountability for individual nursing judgements and actions.
• The Nurse maintains competence in nursing.
• The Nurse exercises informed judgement and uses individual competence and qualifications as criteria in seeking consultation, accepting responsibilities, and delgating nursing activities to others.
• The Nurse participates in activities that contribute to the ongoing development of the profession's body of knowledge.
• The Nurse participates in the profession's efforts to implement and improve standards of Nursing.
• The Nurse participates in the profession's effort to establish and maintain conditions of employment conducive to high quality nursing care.
• The Nurse participates in the professions's efforts to protect the public from misinformation and misrepresentation and to maintain the integrity of nursing.
• The Nurse collaborates with members of the health professions and other citizens in promoting community and national efforts to meet the health and needs of the public.

At the Rasmussen College School of Nursing, we will instill our students with a deep sense of ethical responsibility. If you would like more information about our Nursing programs, please call us toll-free at (866) 544-1789.