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 2012.
PREAMBLE
Nurses have four fundamental
responsibilities: to promote
health, to prevent illness, to restore health
and to alleviate
suffering. The need for nursing is universal.
Inherent in nursing is a 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 coordinate 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
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.
The nurse ensures that the individual
receives accurate,
sufficient and timely information in a
culturally appropriate
manner on which to base consent for care and
related
treatment.
The nurse holds in confidence personal
information and uses
judgement in sharing this information.
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.
The nurse advocates for equity and social
justice in resource
allocation, access to health care and other
social and
economic services.
The nurse demonstrates professional values
such as
respectfulness, responsiveness, compassion,
trustworthiness
and integrity.
2. Nurses and practice
The nurse carries personal responsibility and
accountability
for nursing practice, and for maintaining
competence by continual
learning.
The nurse maintains a standard of personal
health such that the
ability to provide care is not compromised.
The nurse uses judgement regarding individual
competence when
accepting and delegating responsibility.
The nurse at all times maintains standards of
personal conduct
which reflect well on the profession and
enhance its image and
public confidence.
The nurse, in providing care, ensures that
use of technology and
scientific advances are compatible with the
safety, dignity and
rights of people.
The nurse strives to foster and maintain a
practice culture
promoting ethical behaviour and open
dialogue.
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.
The nurse is active in developing a core of
research-based
professional knowledge that supports evidence-based
practice.
The nurse is active in developing and
sustaining a core of
professional values.
The nurse, acting through the professional
organisation,
participates in creating a positive practice
environment and
maintaining safe, equitable social and
economic working
conditions in nursing.
The nurse practices to sustain and protect
the natural
environment and is aware of its consequences
on health.
The nurse contributes to an ethical
organisational environment
and challenges unethical practices and
settings.
4. Nurses and co-workers
The nurse sustains a collaborative and
respectful relationship
with co-workers in nursing and other fields.
The nurse takes appropriate action to
safeguard individuals,
families and communities when their health is
endangered
by a co-worker or any other person.
The nurse takes appropriate action to support
and guide
co-workers to advance ethical conduct.
SUGGESTIONS
FOR USE OF
THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES
The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses is a guide
for action based
on social values and needs. It will have
meaning only as a
living document if applied to the realities
of nursing and
health care in a changing society.
To achieve its purpose the Code must be
understood,
internalised and used by nurses in all
aspects of their work.
It must be available to students and nurses
throughout their
study and work lives.
APPLYING
THE ELEMENTS OF
THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES
The four elements of the ICN Code of Ethics
for Nurses:
nurses and people, nurses and practice,
nurses and the
profession, and nurses and co-workers, give a
framework for
the standards of conduct. The following chart
will assist
nurses to translate the standards into
action.
Nurses and nursing students
can therefore:
·
Study
the standards under each element of the Code.
·
Reflect
on what each standard means to you. Think about how you can apply ethics in
your nursing domain: practice,
·
education,
research or management.
·
Discuss
the Code with co-workers and others.
·
Use a
specific example from experience to identify ethical dilemmas and standards of
conduct as outlined in the Code.
·
Identify
how you would resolve the dilemmas.
·
Work in
groups to clarify ethical decision making and reach a consensus on standards of
ethical conduct.
·
Collaborate
with your National Nurses Association, co-workers, and others in the continuous
application of ethical standards in nursing practice, education,management and
research.
