American Nursing Association: Code Of Ethics For Nurses

A nurse's main goal is to provide adequate care for patients so that they can heal both physically and mentally in the most comfortable and painless way possible. In the American Nurses Association, "Code of Ethics for Nurses," the welfare of the patient is first and foremost the most important aspect of the nursing code. The safety, health, and autonomy of the patients is what the nurses strive for when treating patients, and equal care is to be given disregarding race, ethnic background, or religion. The code exists to provide patients with caring professionals that they can trust to return them to a full and happy life. The nurses code of ethics has several aspects that make up the professional practice ethics code. The professional-client …show more content…
If the relationship gets too intimate it is the nurse's duty to remove themselves from the situation and put the patient under alternative adequate care. The professional-colleague relationship is also discussed in the code of ethics for nurses. Nurses should treat colleagues and other employees with equal respect and dignity, the same that they would a patient. They should try to work together in order to better the treatment being given to patients. Professional competence is another aspect that is mentioned in the nurses ethics code. Nurses should always be aware of the professional competence of colleagues and other employees. Since the main goal of nursing is to provide for the well-being of patients, that includes being alert to incompetence or impairment to other medical care providers. If it is found that a medical caregiver is unable to provide adequate care, then the appropriate council should be notified to decide what to do about the situation to prevent anymore inadequate care being given to patients. A nurse has a responsibility to one's self as well as the patients. Nurses should treat themselves with the same care that they would a patient. They should also hold …show more content…
The code respects a patients autonomy when receiving medical care. The code states that nurses will protect the rights of all patients, this entails giving them the right to choose what medical care the patients want to receive. It gives them the right to self-determination and to decide what medical care they want to be given regardless of what the medical professionals believe to be best course of action. This brings about the idea of informed consent concerning medical care. If a medical procedure is proposed to a patient that patient must give informed consent in order for the procedure to take place. The patient must be fully informed of the risks, benefits, and overall goals for the procedure in order for it to be considered informed consent. They also cannot be coerced in any way when making their decision otherwise the informed consent is void and it would be in violation of the patient's autonomy. The complicated part occurs if the patient is deemed unable to give proper informed consent whether it is due to a physical or emotional problem. It is then left up to a parent or guardian to maintain the patient's autonomy. The code also states that beneficence must be practiced with patients. This means to treat patients with kindness and compassion. This is what the code is based upon and is the most important principle to practice. The code describes how the patients