CODE OF ETHICS AND

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Ethics: Definition, Ethical Principles, Code of ethics and

professional conduct for Nurses.
 CODE OF ETHICS

• Code of ethics is a set of ethical principles that are

accepted by all members of a profession.

• It is a collective statement about the group’s

expectations and standards of behaviour .
 NURSING CODE OF ETHICS

• Nursing ethics state the duties and obligation of

nurses to their clients, other health professionals, the
profession and the community.

• Provide the standards for professional behaviour and

is the study of principles of right and wrong conduct
for nurses.
 EVOLUTION OF ICN CODE OF ETHICS

• Nursing profession uses codes for Nurses: Ethical

concepts Applied to Nursing as its guide for professional
conduct. This code is adopted and published by the ICN.

• The first such Code of Ethics, called the International

Code of Nursing Ethics, was adopted by the Grand
council of the International Council of Nurses at Sao
Paulo, Brazil in 1953.
 EVOLUTION OF ICN CODE OF ETHICS
• It was later revised in Frankfurt, Germany in 1965 and
then became known as the ICN Code of Ethics.

• The most recent revision in 1973 took place in Mexico

and resulted in the present “Code for Nurses”. It has

been revised and reaffirmed at various times since,

most recently with this review and revision completed

 THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

• An international code of ethics for nurses was first

adopted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN)
in 1953.

• It has been revised and reaffirmed at various times

since, most recently with this review and revision
completed in 2005
• Nurses have four fundamental responsibilities:
• To promote health,
• To prevent illness,
• To restore health
• To alleviate suffering.
• The need for nursing is universal.
• Inherent in nursing is respect for human rights, including cultural
rights, the right to life and choice, to dignity and to be treated with
respect.
• Nursing care is respectful of and unrestricted by
considerations of age, colour, creed, culture, disability or
illness, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, politics,
race or social status.

• Nurses render health services to the individual, the

family and the community and co-ordinate their services
with those of related groups.
THE ICN CODE

• The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses has four principal

elements that outline the standards of ethical conduct.

• ELEMENTS OF THE CODE

• 1. NURSES AND PEOPLE
• 2. NURSES AND PRACTICE
• 3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION
• 4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS
 NURSES AND PEOPLE

• The nurse’s primary professional

responsibility is to people requiring
nursing care. In providing care, the
nurse promotes an environment in
which the human rights, values,
customs and spiritual beliefs of the
individual, family and community are
respected.
 NURSES AND PEOPLE

• The nurse ensures that the

individual receives sufficient
information on which to base
consent for care and related
treatment.
 NURSES AND PEOPLE

• The nurse holds in confidence

personal information and uses
judgement in sharing this
information.
 NURSES AND PEOPLE

• The nurse shares with

society the responsibility for
initiating and supporting
action to meet the health and
social needs of the public, in
particular those of
vulnerable populations.
 NURSES AND PEOPLE

• The nurse also shares

responsibility to sustain and
protect the natural
environment from depletion,
pollution, degradation and
destruction.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

• The nurse carries personal

responsibility and accountability for
nursing practice, and for maintaining
competence by continual learning.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

• The nurse maintains a

standard of personal health
such that the ability to
provide care is not
compromised.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

• The nurse uses judgement

regarding individual
competence when accepting
and delegating
responsibility.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

• The nurse at all times

maintains standards of
personal conduct which
reflect well on the profession
and enhance public
confidence.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

• The nurse, in providing care,

ensures that use of
technology and scientific
advances are compatible with
the safety, dignity and rights
of people.
3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION

• The nurse assumes the major

role in determining and
implementing acceptable
standards of clinical nursing
practice, management, research
and education.
3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION

• The nurse is active in

developing a core of
research-based professional
knowledge.
3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION

• The nurse, acting through the

professional organization,
participates in creating and
maintaining safe, equitable
social and economic working
conditions in nursing.
4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

• The nurse sustains a

co-operative
relationship with co-
workers in nursing and
other fields.
4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

• The nurse takes appropriate

action to safeguard
individuals, families and
communities when their
health is endangered by a co-
worker or any other person.
 BASIC ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

• International Council of Nurses proposed some basic

ethical principles. They are to be followed by each
members of our profession.
• Ethical principles actually control professionalism
nursing practice much more than to ethical theories
 RESPECT FOR PERSONS

• It directs individuals to treat themselves

and other, with a respect inherent to
man’s humanness.

• It requires recognition on a sense that all

share a common human destiny.
 ACCOUNTABILITY

• Accountability refers to the ability to answer

for one’s own actions. The nurse balances
accountability to the client, the profession, the
employer and society.

• Accountability means being answerable for

acts carried out in the performance of one’s
professional role.
Domains of accountability

• Professional accountability
• Organizational accountability
• Legal accountability
• Individual accountability
 RESPECT FOR AUTONOMY
• Autonomy is defined as the freedom to make prudent
and binding decisions consistent with the scope of
one’s practice.

• It is also freedom to implement those decisions.

Respect for another’s autonomy is fundamental to the
practice of health care.

• It serves to justify the inclusion of clients in all aspects

of decision making regarding their health care.
RESPECT FOR FREEDOM

• Nurses as a group believe that patient

should have greater freedom of choice
within the nations health care system.

• This principle should be observed by

staff nurses when planning patient
care; by nurse manger when leading
subordinates
 BENEFICENCE
• Beneficence refers to taking positive reactions to help
others. The practice of beneficence encourages the
urge to do good for others. It dictates that a person is
obliged to help others to advance their legitimate and
important interests.

• Commitment to beneficence helps to guide difficult

decisions where in the benefits of a treatment may be
challenged by risks to the client’s well-being or dignity.
 NON-MALEFICENCE

• Non- maleficence is the avoidance of harm or hurt.

In health care ethics it is important to remember
that ethical practice involves not only the will to do
good, but also the equal commitment to do no harm.

• The standards of non-maleficence promotes a

continuing effort to consider the potential for harm
even when it may be necessary to promote health.
 VERACITY
• Veracity concerns truth telling and incorporates the concept that
individuals should always tell the truth.

• It requires professional care-givers to provide with accurate,

reality based information about their health status and care or
treatment prospection.

• Truth telling is an ethical concern for nurses, because truth is the

basis for mutual trust between patient and nurse, and trust is the
basis for patient’s hope of benefit from nursing services.
 JUSTICE

• Justice concerns the issue that persons

should be treated equally and fairly.

• This principle of justice requires treating

others fairly and giving persons their due.
 FIDELITY
• Fidelity is keeping one’s promises or
commitments. The principle of fidelity holds
that a person should faithfully fulfill his
duties and obligations.

• Fidelity is important in a nurse because a

patient’s hope for relief and recovery rests on
evidence care givers conscientiousness.
 CONFEDENTIALITY
• Confidentiality is the duty to respect
privileged information.

• The principle of confidentiality provides that

care givers should respect a patient need for
privacy and use personal information about
him or her only to improve care.
• Values: Definition, Types, values Clarification and values in professional
Nursing, Caring and Advocacy.
DEFINITION - VALUES
• Something of worth; enduring
beliefs or attitudes about the worth
of a person, idea, object, or action.

• They are important because they

influence decisions, actions and
even nurse’s ethical decision
making.
CONCEPT OF VALUES

• Values are the basic

convictions that give us a
sense of right and wrong,
good and bad.

• Values are the basis of

ethical behaviour.
CONCEPT OF VALUES
• Values are beliefs that affect an
individual’s judgemental ideas
about what is good or bad.

• Ethics is the way the values are

acted out.

• Ethics involves learning what is

right or wrong, and then doing
the right thing.
Values Transmission

• Values are learned through

observation and experience.

• Therefore, they are influenced

greatly by cultural, ethnic, and

religious groups and by family and

peer groups. 
Values Transmission
• Example:  A parent consistently
demonstrates honesty in

dealing with others, the child

will probably value honesty. 

• Our health beliefs are also

learned this way.

 TYPES OF VALUES

• Personal values
• Professional values
• Terminal values
• Instrumental values
Personal values : Values internalized from the society or
culture in which one lives.  People need societal values to
feel accepted, and they need personal values to have a
sense of individuality.

Professional values : Values acquired during socialization

into nursing from codes of ethics, nursing experiences,
teachers, and peers
 VALUE CLARIFICATION
• Value clarification is the process by which the individuals identify,
examine and develop their own value.

• Raths, Harmin and Simon described “Valuing process”

• Choosing (Cognitive) – Beliefs are chosen freely from

alternative and reflection, and consideration of consequences.

• Prizing (Affective) – Beliefs are prized and cherished.

• Acting (Behaviour) – Chosen beliefs are confirmed to others,
incorporated into behaviour consistently in one’s life
Behaviours that May Indicate Unclear Values

• Ignoring a health professional’s advice. 

• Inconsistent communication or behaviour 
• Numerous admissions to a health agency for the
same problem 

• Confusion or uncertainty about which course of

action to take 
VALUES IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING

• Clarifying the Nurse’s Values

• The student nurse needs to examine the
values they hold  about life, death, health, and
illness.  It is important for  the nurse to be
aware of their own values so if helping a
client they are not imposed on the client. 
 VALUES IN PROFESSIONAL NURSING

• Clarifying Client Values

• To plan effective care, the nurse needs to identify the
client’s values as they relate to health problems. 

• If the client is unclear or has conflicting values the

nurse can help guide the patient to clarify the
client’s values.
 Seven steps in clarifying client’s values
1. List alternatives. Are you considering other courses
of action?  Tell me about them.                                         

2. Examine possible consequences of choices.   What

do you think you will gain from doing that? What
benefits do you foresee from doing that? 

3. Choose freely.  Did you have any say in that

decision?  Do you have a choice? 
 Seven steps in clarifying client’s values
4. Feel good about the choice.    Some people feel good
after a decision is made, others feel bad.  How do you
feel? 
5. Affirm the choice.  How will you discuss his with
others (family, friends)? 
6. Act on the choice.   Will it be difficult to tell your
wife about this?   
7. Act with a pattern.   How many times have you done
that before?  Would you act that way again?
 5 values essential for professional nurses

• Altruism – Doing good, concern for others

• Autonomy – Right to self-determination
• Human dignity – Respect for the uniqueness of individuals and
populations

• Integrity – Honesty; acting in accordance with the code of ethics

and standards of practice

• Social justice – Working to ensure equal treatment under the law

and equal access to quality health care
• Values are beliefs that affect an individual’s judgemental ideas about
what is good or bad.
• Ethics is the way the values are acted out.
• Ethics involves learning what is right or wrong, and then doing the right
thing.