Professional Ethics
Running head: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Professional Ethics
Donna Noha
University of Phoenix
Professional Ethics
We as nurses are accountable for our ethical conduct. So what are ethics? How are ethics different from our morals? In this paper, I will define what ethics are, describe the significance of professional ethics to nursing practice, summarize the purpose and the contexts of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, and finally discuss two the provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics. So are morals different from ethics? Morals and ethics are similar. Morals are an individual’s belief or personal standard of what is right and wrong, whether it is someone’s conduct, attitude, or character. Ethics can be referred to as beliefs, standards, or morals of a specific group, such as nurses (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006). Nursing practice has its own professional ethics. The nursing codes of ethics are formal statements of standards for professional conduct and inform the public of its commitment. What do nurses do with this Code of Ethics? Nurses have more of a moral responsibility due to having knowledge in a specialized area to help other people. Duties of a nurse are to protect and maximize the patient’s well-being, even if we are not working. For example, if there is car accident that a nurse witnesses and there are injured people, that nurse has the responsibility to take act within her nursing skills to help the injured. The significance of ethics in nursing practice is very important. Nurses have to think of the client’s health, well being, and their morals instead of only of their own. The ANA created the Scope and Standard of Practice, which include the Nurse Code of ethics. But what does that Code of Ethics entail? The ANA Code of Ethics was designed so that every nurse must act and think certain ways ensuring that the patient’s rights are protected as well as the nurse’s rights are protected.
The Code of Ethics
Professional Ethics
Donna Noha
University of Phoenix
Professional Ethics
We as nurses are accountable for our ethical conduct. So what are ethics? How are ethics different from our morals? In this paper, I will define what ethics are, describe the significance of professional ethics to nursing practice, summarize the purpose and the contexts of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, and finally discuss two the provisions of the ANA Code of Ethics. So are morals different from ethics? Morals and ethics are similar. Morals are an individual’s belief or personal standard of what is right and wrong, whether it is someone’s conduct, attitude, or character. Ethics can be referred to as beliefs, standards, or morals of a specific group, such as nurses (Blais, Hayes, Kozier, & Erb, 2006). Nursing practice has its own professional ethics. The nursing codes of ethics are formal statements of standards for professional conduct and inform the public of its commitment. What do nurses do with this Code of Ethics? Nurses have more of a moral responsibility due to having knowledge in a specialized area to help other people. Duties of a nurse are to protect and maximize the patient’s well-being, even if we are not working. For example, if there is car accident that a nurse witnesses and there are injured people, that nurse has the responsibility to take act within her nursing skills to help the injured. The significance of ethics in nursing practice is very important. Nurses have to think of the client’s health, well being, and their morals instead of only of their own. The ANA created the Scope and Standard of Practice, which include the Nurse Code of ethics. But what does that Code of Ethics entail? The ANA Code of Ethics was designed so that every nurse must act and think certain ways ensuring that the patient’s rights are protected as well as the nurse’s rights are protected.
The Code of Ethics
References: Blais, K., Hayes, J., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. (2006). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Hooks, K. G. & White, G. B. (2003). ANA 's code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements independent study module. American Nurses Association. Retrieved June 1, 2009, from http://www.nursingworld.org/mods/mod580/cecdetoc.htm