Paper Example on ANA Code of Ethics: A Guide to Professional Practice in Healthcare

The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses (2001) as it applies to Professional Practice in Contemporary Health care

Making ethical decisions is a complex and challenging process. In most programs, the commitment of ethics is uneven, with some programs requiring some specific studies on ethics and others referring learners to the American Nursing Association code of ethics (ANA Code). The study of ethics for a nurse is essential due to the nature of their profession, which continually places them in morally challenging situations. Nurses might get distressed and burned out, hence the need for the study of ethical cases and theories which provide tools and guidelines for handling different situations. The ANA code is an essential tool for educating nurses. The ANA Code defines the purposes of the nursing code and professional codes in general ("Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History," n.d.). The expressed purpose of the ANA Code is to be; a brief statement of the ethical duties and obligations, for every nurse to meet the nonnegotiable ethical standards of the profession and to be a nursing's expression of understanding and commitment. The Code offers the provision of moral rules which help in guiding behavior. It applies across the areas of research, patient care, and education. The Code outlines that the obligations are given to a nurse place them on an honest relationship to society ("Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History," n.d.). The ANA code applies to ethics in healthcare through being a professional code of ethics, which makes distinguished references and gives some weight to the obligations of nurses. The case study I have selected on ethics in professional healthcare focuses on the question "how can professional code of ethics guide nursing practice in a variety of settings?"

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Meaning and Relevance of the Code of Ethics and Application to Selected case Study

Professional nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health abilities prevention of injury and illness and alleviation of pain through diagnosis and treatment. This is done by advocacy of families, communities, individuals, and populations. Nurses need a good education, particular key elements guiding their professionals, and a relevant code of ethics so that they can practice with integrity and competence. The ANA Code has supported and has guided nursing practices through the development of policies and actions ("Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History," n.d.). The choice of pursuing a nursing career involves incorporation of virtues and obligations of a smaller community. Health professionals are required to be nonjudgmental about the character of another individual and identify the ethical issues that might arise within their professionals. Levels of guidance have to be set to consider ethical problems.

A Summary of the Key Data being Studied

When examining nurses' involvement in biomedical ethics for instance, it can be found that nurses encounter some issues including health-related problems which impact the society and related policies, dilemmas within the organizations they work with, and dilemmas with individual patients (Fowler, 2008). Every day, healthcare professionals come across biomedical related ethical problems. Various questions have been asked on the levels of society and policies including; ways in which researchers can be protected from harm and if accessibility to healthcare is a right or a privilege. These questions and many other ethically challenging questions arise for nurses every day. A nurse is immersed in an organization with systems that are slow to change and has a hierarchy of power with multiple loyalties that make them have ethical dilemmas. In the hospital setting, various shifts influence professional practice, including; shifts in financial concerns, the culture of safety and quality, and the moral climate (Runciman, Merry & Walton, 2017). To attain their goals, nurses find and identify paths of influence and resistance, such as being assertive and finding their strength in numbers.

Ethical Dilemma in the Case and the Decision made with its Rationale

Poor ethical climates are correlated with high levels of moral distress, increased chances to leave a job position, and reduced job satisfaction. Due to these factors, it is clear that the organizational Code of ethics in healthcare is essential for all nurses. A useful, ethical code of ethics must offer the provision of guidance, management of ethical problems arising at the clinical, organizational, and societal level (Grace, 2017). The Code is useful in action and evaluation.

Applicable Provisions of the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements for each Provision

In a clinical setting, ethical issues involve dilemmas at the bedside as well as navigation through a complex system which requires quality patient care and identification of ways to maintain collaborate and ensure good working relationship and trust with their colleagues. The ANA Code of ethics provides directions on indirect and direct care in the nursing practice ("Code of Ethics for Nurses," n.d.). The provisions and interpretive statement in the Code reflect some extensive information. Nurses write it, and it expresses their understanding of commitment to society and their profession. The 2015 code looks into persons and, "collective nursing intentions, and actions, requiring each nurse to showcase nursing competence in their professional life" ("Code of Ethics for Nurses," n.d.). The most applicable provisions for this Case are provisions 7 and 9. Provision 7 states that, "the nurse collaborates with other health professionals to protect and help the public, to promote human rights, health diplomacy, and health initiatives? Provision 9 states that "the profession of nursing collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy" (Fowler, 2008). These provisions offer descriptions of the duties of a nurse beyond individual encounters, supporting the ethical Decision on nursing practices in a variety of settings.

Conclusion

Provision 4 and Provision 6 are the most important according to me, and I plan to adhere to them in my future practices as a nurse. According to Provision 4, "the nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice, and makes decisions, taking actions which are consistent with the duty to provide optimal care" ("Code of Ethics for Nurses," n.d.). Provision 6 also applies to this case, and it states that "the nurse through individual and collective action, maintains, establishes and improves the moral environment of the work setting, and the conditions of employment conducive to quality health care" ("Code of Ethics for Nurses," n.d.). These provisions address boundaries of duty and loyalty. The future of nursing will require the ability to face any challenges that modern health care will present. These provisions will build me in my duties and will enable me to provide quality care to both the society and the patient. The provision will allow me to collaborate with other nurses in fulfilling the ethical and moral obligations of the organization. These provisions provide for the considerable scope of nursing and the overall concern for the health of the society. The ANA Code enables nurses to navigate complex issues and other ethical issues in all nursing settings. It supports nurses by offering justifications, explanations, and recommendations for actions in distinct situations.

References

Fowler, M. D. M. (2008). Guide to the Code of ethics for nurses: Interpretation and application. Nursesbooks. Org. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OtVGzQRzQWoC&oi=fnd&pg=PT3&dq=the+ANA+Code+of+ethics&ots=OGHQD7BxHK&sig=DDODTTmVAKTulLsau672XIVczFs&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20ANA%20Code%20of%20ethics&f=false

Grace, P. J. (Ed.). (2017). Nursing ethics and professional responsibility in advanced practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Runciman, B., Merry, A., & Walton, M. (2017). Safety and ethics in healthcare: a guide to getting it right. CRC Press. Retrieved fromhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315607443

The Code of Ethics for Nurses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3712593/

The Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-20-2015/No2-May-2015/The-Nursing-Code-of-Ethics-Its-Value-Its-History.html#Peter