The ANA Code of Ethics: How Do You Incorporate This Into Your Practice?

Introduction

The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

As a nurse, I have to respect the rights of all patients without considering other factors that led to their health status. Their worth is not determined by proximity to death, disability, disease or functional status. I diagnose and provide care according to the needs of the patient.

• The nurse's primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group or community.

My primary commitment as a nurse is to the patient receiving healthcare services, whether a community, group, individual, a population or a family. Any care that I give must be reflecting with the nursing commitment to the worth, dignity and uniqueness of the specific patient. When handling patients, I give them a chance to help me plan as well as implement health care services that best suit their issues. I respect the family and friends wishes, and when a conflict arises, I help in solving it while maintaining the interests of the patient.

• The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.

Right to privacy involves the control to disclosure of a person's information. In nursing, am required not to disclose any information about patients who receive health care service. I have to safeguard the privacy rights of the group, family or individual affected. I have to provide rooms that offer privacy during the diagnosis of a disease.

• The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse's obligation to provide optimum patient care.

As a nurse, am responsible for the health care services that I offer to my patients. Am also accountable for my nursing practices which include the offering of authorized care, a delegation of duties, administration, teaching, and research. In every situation am responsible for offering quality services, safeguard the nursing acts as well as healthcare standards.

• The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal, professional growth.

The same way other professionals evaluate, assess, protect, intervene, carry out research, educate and promote safety and health matters, as nurses we are also required to take care of our health and safety. We are required to apply health promotion and health maintenance measures that we have learned in the field of nursing. We should seek nursing care when the need arises to avoid taking risks. We are advised to eat a healthy diet, exercise and relax.

• The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving healthcare environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.

As a nurse being required to establish and contribute to the maintenance of a morally stable environment which makes nurses virtuous. Such virtues include communication, mutual respect, prudence, transparency, caring, dignity, generosity, and kindness. This is to be applied when handling a patient, fellow nurse or any other person.

• The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.

As a nurse, we are needed to contribute to the development of our profession by evaluating, application to practice and disseminating to practice. Knowledge development can be carried out through scholarly research and inquiry. We research to expand our knowledge of nursing.

• The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national, and international efforts to meet health needs.

In nursing practice, I work together with professionals to change processes and structures that are not fair to individuals and communities at large. Inadequate social policies and structural social disparities increase the causes of infections, premature death, and suffering. In nursing, I help in addressing issues that affect health such as poverty, abuse, and homelessness.

• The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy.

In nursing, we are needed to take part in solidarity with health organizations and global nursing community to represent the voice of nurses around the world.

Conclusion

Nurses work hand in hand with other professionals in healthcare facilities. Their cooperation is necessary to patient's welfare and well being. Nursing ethics require nurses to treat patients equally regardless of their age, citizenship and economic status (Butts and Rich, 2016). It also helps in ensuring that the needs of the patients are a priority, ensure that nurses are researching to enhance their professions, they ensure that nurses take care of their health too, and in return, the welfare of community members is taken care of.

Reference

Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2016). Nursing Ethics: Across the curriculum and into practice.