| Perhaps history's most famous nurse,
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| | commitment to the patient, respect for
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| Florence Nightingale, gave her name to
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| | human dignity and ensuring the privacy of
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| the earliest version of today's Code of
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| | every patient. Nurses can put these
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| Ethics back in 1893, when a "Nightingale
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| | principles into practice every day by
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| Pledge" was established. In 1926, The
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| | doing things such as explaining
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| American Journal of Nursing published a
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| | procedures fully, ensuring privacy and
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| provisional code, although it wasn't
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| | ensuring they have a patient's full
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| formally accepted by the American Nursing
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| | consent.
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| Association until over 30 years later, in
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| | The Code of Ethics is also closely linked
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| 1960.
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| | with patients' rights and a section
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| Since then, the Code of Ethics has been
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| | addresses this often touchy subject. A
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| revised and amended several times,
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| | comprehensive bill of rights is a
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| although the underlying principles have
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| | surprisingly recent concept. A Patients
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| remained the same. Nurses are still
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| | Bill of Rights was not enacted until 1973
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| expected to perform their duties with
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| | by the American Hospital Association and
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| integrity, and do the best job they can.
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| | was revised in 1992. By law, a patient
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| As most people know, their job is
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| | must be informed of their rights upon
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| difficult to begin with. A nurse is not
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| | being admitted to a hospital.
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| only a caregiver; he or she is expected
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| | The Code of Ethics often conflicts with
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| to have a wide range of other assets too,
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| | patients' rights, for example, a patient
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| such as tact, patience and the ability to
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| | may refuse treatment or discharge
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| communicate.
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| | themselves against the better judgment of
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| If you are a nurse, you may not be tested
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| | the nurse. In this case, a nurse must
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| on the Code and you won't be expected to
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| | respect the wishes of the patient even
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| commit it to memory, but you will need to
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| | though it may go against some of the
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| be familiar with its basic concepts. You
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| | principles of the Code of Ethics. The
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| may be required to attend seminars on the
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| | Code states that a nurse may never act to
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| principles of the Code and perhaps review
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| | deliberately end a person's life,
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| actual cases, particularly ones in which
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| | although they should attempt to alleviate
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| a difficult or ethical decision was
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| | a patient's suffering even if this causes
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| reached.
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| | death
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| Due to the fact that the Code also
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| | Frequently, a person may have a set of
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| changes, and is amended to from time to
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| | religious or cultural beliefs which leads
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| time, nurses need to keep up with any
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| | them to make decisions about their health
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| updates as well. Arguably, the duties of
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| | that many of us would consider unhealthy
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| a nurse have become even more challenging
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| | or dangerous. The Code also addresses the
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| over recent years, due to such things as
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| | question of funding for medical research
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| cost-conscious hospitals, a shortage of
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| | and states that a nurse can choose not to
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| nurses in some areas and more complex
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| | participate in such research if they
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| medical treatments.
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| | consider it to be unethical.
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| Most of us know what ethics are, as we
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| | To some degree, the Code of Ethics also
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| make ethical decisions in our everyday
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| | means that nurses must take
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| lives. Ethics is actually a branch of
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| | responsibility not only for their own
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| philosophy - the word ethics comes from
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| | actions, but for the actions of other
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| the Greek word ethos which means habitual
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| | nurses too; the Code states that a nurse
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| usage, custom, conduct and character. Put
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| | must take action if he or she observes
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| another way, ethics are the guidelines
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| | others acting in an, "incompetent,
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| which guide an individual or group in
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| | unethical, illegal or impaired" manner. A
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| their everyday behavior.
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| | nurse is also expected and encouraged to
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| Nurses perhaps know this more than
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| | report such behavior, which is not always
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| anyone. Each day, nurses are faced with
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| | an easy thing to do.
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| making life and death decisions,
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| | Many hospitals actually have ethics
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| sometimes with no more than a few seconds
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| | committees or even an ethicist on the
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| to decide. Although nurses have the
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| | staff. He or she may be called upon in
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| necessary authority and skills required
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| | cases where a life or death decision has
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| to make independent decisions about a
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| | to be made, a decision that most of us
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| particular patient or situation, they are
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| | would care to make. Not surprisingly,
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| still responsible to the profession in
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| | often the question of ethics arises in
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| general.
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| | those situations in which it is being
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| The first three provisions of the Code
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| | considered to cease life support and
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| are perhaps the most important. They
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| | allow a terminally ill patient to die.
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| cover such basics as the nurse's
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