5. What Is the Purpose of a Code of Ethics?

A code of ethics is a business document outlining

professional standards expected of all company workers and representatives. Although it may address
internal conduct, it primarily centers on what is expected of employees when engaged in customer-
centric activities.

The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses serves the following purposes:

 It is a succinct statement of the ethical obligations and duties of every individual who
enters the nursing profession.
 It is the profession’s nonnegotiable ethical standard.
 It is an expression of nursing’s own understanding of its commitment to society.

7. The search yielded 10 nursing ethical values: Human dignity, privacy, justice, autonomy in decision
making, precision and accuracy in caring, commitment, human relationship, sympathy, honesty, and
individual and professional competency.

Caring is best demonstrated by a nurse's ability to embody the five core values of professional nursing.
Core nursing values essential to baccalaureate education include human dignity, integrity, autonomy,
altruism, and social justice.

CORE VALUES

 CARING: promoting health, healing, and hope in response to the human condition

 INTEGRITY: respecting the dignity and moral wholeness of every person without conditions or
limitation;

 DIVERSITY: affirming the uniqueness of and differences among persons, ideas, values, and
ethnicities.

 EXCELLENCE: co-creating and implementing transformative strategies with daring ingenuity.

6. Professional responsibility as applied to nurses refers to the ethical and moral obligations permeating
the nursing profession. These standards relate to patient care, collaboration with other medical
professionals, integrity, morals and the responsibility to effectuate social change. Nurses must learn
these rules during their schooling, whether they are becoming a registered nurse or certified nurse
practitioner. Ethical violations could result in a loss of license or discipline by the state nursing board.

1. What are the Legal Responsibilities of being a Nurse?

Just as in any profession, or life in general, we must all follow the rules. Nurses are not any different, in
fact, they are expected to adhere to even higher standards since they are responsible for the lives of
others. For this reason, nurses must exercise great caution in their decision-making to reduce the
possibility of legal liabilities.

Nurses must also act in accordance to ethical requirements to suit the best interest of their patients.
Although some situations are not textbook, a nurse must be able to make the right decision with
precision timing.
Fortunately, the American Nurses Association (ANA) publishes guidelines for ethical nursing practice
within the United States. As the nursing profession evolves, The ANA Code of Ethics manual issues
updates as well, specifically concerning controversial subjects regarding end of life decisions. Although,
the core ethical principles of nursing stay the same, your employer should keep you up-to-date on
changes and current issues through notices and regular in-service training.

There are several areas of legal and ethical challenges that nurses may face at any given time. They may
include the balance of your time between your patient’s care and the efficiency of the facility, the
dealing with workplace conflict and staffing shortages or the appropriate use of social media and patient
privacy.

As a nurse, you may also be faced with ethical issues such as competency. A nurse is obligated to stay
up-to-date on all the latest developments regarding a patient’s care. They also have the responsibility to
monitor the patient’s care and treatment and express all concerns and findings to the patient’s doctor
or other healthcare professional. As a nurse, open communication with the patient is required regarding
their treatments and prognosis. Nurses are responsible to not only their patients but also to other fellow
employees. It is imperative, that nursing-related professionals realize that they are bound and obligated
to consider all consequences of their actions when taking care of their patient’s medical and mental
needs regardless of race, gender, political views or religious beliefs.

Although we are all entitled to our own beliefs or opinions, when one is in the nursing profession, you
must adhere to the patient’s wishes or beliefs. Situations such as, a “Do Not Resuscitate” order or issues
addressing pro-life versus pro-choice are just two examples where you must respect the patient’s wishes
even if you do not agree with them. In some instances, in the events of natural disasters where supplies
and medications are running low, nurses have had to be responsible for making the ethical decision of
choosing which patients would get treatment and which ones are just made comfortable till supplies
were replenished.

The healthcare industry must rely on their written rules of how a professional nurse should conduct
themselves, always. As a nurse, you will be asked to be loyal and truthful with your patients while
combining the practice of medicine, however, the laws have been created to protect you and your
patients. As a nursing student, you will be responsible for learning the rules and regulations for
maintaining a good relationship with your patients to avoid malpractice lawsuits.

By the way, if you have an interest in law, in addition to being a nurse, why not combine the two and
become a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC). A LNC must first become a Registered Nurse. They are
considered to be liaisons between the healthcare and legal systems in cases of personal injury, medical
malpractice or criminal law. A career as a Forensic Nurse would be a good option for you, as well.

Nurses have to abide by laws and regulations when practicing nursing. All of the regulations and legal
aspects of nursing are taught and explained to nurses throughout nursing school. Not abiding by the
code of ethics could cost the nurse his or her nursing license and result in a malpractice suit.

Nurse Practice Act

Every state has a Nurse Practice Act, which states all the guidelines and laws for the nurses who are
licensed to practice in the state. The act includes the limitations and training specifications of each
nurse. This means that each nurse has been trained in a specific area of nursing; therefore, the nurse
must practice in that area only. If a nurse is not trained to administer medication or treatment to a
patient, the nurse is not permitted to do so. The nurse must consult with a physician or other nursing
authority when a situation arises that the nurse is not certified to handle. Any wrongdoing is a violation
of this act, and the nurse may lose his or her nursing license, as well as having a suit filed against him or
her or the health care agency or hospital.

Patient Advocate

A nurse has the legal responsibility to be the advocate for the patient in all health care instances,
including emergencies. The nurse will be the liaison between the physician and the patient. The nurse
has the legal duty to monitor the patient and watch for any abnormalities or complications that may
occur. If any occur, the nurse must access a physician to provide immediate care for the patient.

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Administering Medication

Any nurse who is certified to administer medication to a patient must do so accurately and timely. The
nurse has the legal responsibility to interpret the charts and files of a patient and to understand what
allergic reactions patients may or may not have to a certain medication. If a nurse does not administer
the correct dosage or medication to a patient, the patient could suffer major health risks or even death.
This is grounds for a malpractice suit against the nurse and health care facility.

Patient Neglect

The nurse will provide care for the patient he or she is monitoring at all times. If the patient needs
assistance with any issues, such as hygiene, the nurse has the legal responsibility to assist the patient. If
a nurse does not monitor and provide care to the patient, this can be considered patient neglect, which
is unethical and illegal. The patient may try to move and use the restroom on his or her own and may be
physically injured in the process. Some patients may harm themselves while under the influence of
medication, which should not happen if the nurse is paying proper attention to his or her patient.

Consent Forms

Nurses have the legal responsibility to explain all treatment, medications and lab results to patients or
authorized family members of patients. Before a patient may undergo surgery, he or she will need to
sign a consent form. If the nurse is administering the treatment, such as anesthesia, it is the nurse’s legal
obligation to explain the negatives and positives of the anesthesia. The patient or family member must
then sign a consent form acknowledging that the patient understands the procedure. If this form is not
signed and complications occur, the nurse may face legal consequences.
4. Students identified caring as a motivation to be competent so as to promote positive Outcomes for
patients. They noted that caring increases competence, ensuring nurses will properly assess patients
and perform skills. ... This will impact the dedication of nurses to provide holistic care

3. Competence is understood as: The attainment of knowledge, intellectual capacities, practice skills,
integrity, and professional and ethical values required for safe, accountable and effective practice as a
registered nurse or registered midwife.

8. The difference in accountability and responsibility. Simply put, the difference between the two
terms is that responsibility involves having authority over one's actions. Accountability means you are
liable or answerable for one's actions. In order to be responsible, you must be accountable and vice
versa.

Accountability. Put simply, 'accountability' is about taking responsibility for your actions, always
ensuring you are competent to do the activity you've been asked to perform, and always putting
patients'/clients' interests first. ... you should be doing it as part of an agreed plan of care for the
patient/client

10. Principles of the Nursing Profession. Ethics are fundamental to nursing. All nurses should respect
their patients, maintain patients' dignity and protect patients' rights. Nurses must create an
environment of mutual trust and respect between patients and healthcare professionals.

The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses serves the following purposes: It is a succinct statement of the
ethical obligations and duties of every individual who enters the nursing profession. It is the profession's
nonnegotiable ethical standard. It is an expression of nursing's own understanding of its commitment to
society.