Nursing Code of Ethics

The term ethics is derived from the Greek word "ethos" meaning "character" and is defined as "moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior". Nursing ethics first appeared in textbooks in the late 19th century. Isabel Hampton Robb, the founder of modern nursing theory, authored one of the first texts on nursing ethics. Nursing ethics initially encompassed virtues that were desired in a nurse. At the time, these virtues included physician loyalty, commitment to high moral character and obedience. As the nursing profession evolved, nurses gradually embraced patient advocacy. As patient advocates, nurses work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide patient care. Nursing ethics have kept pace with the advancement of the nursing profession to include a patient-centered focus, rather than a physician-centered focus. Nursing ethics differ from medical ethics because of their focus on caring, rather than curing.

Reference: http://www.nursing-theory.org/articles/Nursing-ethics.php

Some themes in nursing ethics

Nurses seek to defend the dignity of those in their care.[9] Being able to respond to the vulnerability of patients in a way that provides dignifying care is a key concept in the field.

In terms of standard ethical theory, respecting dignity can also be aligned with having a respect for people and their autonomous choices. People are then enabled to make decisions about their own treatment. Amongst other things this grounds the practice of informed consent that should be respected by the nurse,[7] although much of the debate lies in the discussion of cases where people are unable to make choices about their own treatment due to being incapacitated or having a mental illness that affects their judgement. A suggested way to maintain autonomy is for the person to write an advance directive, outlining how they wish to be treated in the event of their inability to make an informed choice, thus avoiding unwarranted paternalism.

Another theme is confidentiality and this is an important principle in many nursing ethical codes. This is where information about the person is only shared with others after permission of the person, unless it is felt that the information must be shared to comply with a higher duty such as preserving life.[7] Related to information giving is the debate relating to truth telling in interactions with the person in care. There is a balance between people having the information required to make an autonomous decision and, on the other hand, not being unnecessarily distressed by the truth. Generally the balance is in favour of truth telling due to respect for autonomy, but sometimes people will ask not to be told, or may lack the capacity to understand the implications. Finally, the role of empirical ethics has become prominent in recent years.

By giving consideration to the themes above, the nurse can endeavour to practice in an ethical way. This key outcome in nursing practice is sometimes challenged by resource, policy or environmental constraints in the practice area,[9] which can lead to moral distress.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_ethics