Comparing ethical codes of the American Nurses Association and ACHE

ANA and ACHE Ethics Comparison

ANA Code of Ethics

Main points/highlights covered in this section of the code?

As per the second requirement of the ethical code of American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses need to not only have knowledge, but also be well-versed in both federal and state laws and policies in healthcare settings where they are employed. Furthermore, they need to possess a sound understanding of their ethical code (American Nurses Association). To put it briefly, the chief duty of nurses is: ensuring patient well-being and, in the event they notice any impaired or unethical behavior, taking action for ensuring the patient comes to no harm. This may be categorized as follows;

Primacy of the patient's interests

The primary commitment of a nurse is to his/her patient (i.e., the individual receiving healthcare / nursing services). The service recipient may be a single individual, a group, a family, or even an entire community. The field of nursing maintains a basic commitment to patient uniqueness. Hence, all care plans need to reflect this uniqueness.

Conflict of interest for nurses

Quite often, nursing professionals encounter conflicting situations that stem from competing workplace loyalties; these include situations wherein patients, their families, colleagues, doctors, and in several instances, health plans and health care organizations, have conflicting expectations. Nurses need to examine conflicts that emerge between their professional and personal values, interests and values of other individuals in charge of making healthcare decisions and patient care, and patients' interests and values. Nurses endeavor to resolve these sorts of conflicts through the adoption of means that priorities patient safety, safeguard the best interests of patients, and preserve their own professional integrity.

Collaboration

The concept of collaboration involves more than just cooperation; it is a concerted individual/group effort at attaining a common goal. In the healthcare arena, this goal is to address the public's and individual patients' health needs. The complex nature of care delivery systems necessitates the adoption of a multi-disciplinary perspective to health service delivery that has active participation and strong support from all professionals in the field of healthcare. In this context, the nursing scope of practice, their unique contribution, and their link to other healthcare providers must be explicitly represented, articulated, and maintained.

What are the similarities between these two different codes?

The similarities between ANA and ACHE's (American College of Healthcare Executives) ethical codes are underlined in the significance of advocating for patients and continuing to practice ethical conduct on all levels. Further similarities exist in that both urge nurses and other healthcare providers to promote integrity and adherence to regulations and laws for promoting safety and competence constantly (ACHE). Further, it is forbidden to retaliate against any staff member who reports unethical behavior, since they are only upholding their ethical code by reporting unethical conduct.

What are the differences between these two different codes?

Only a few differences are apparent between the ethical codes of ACHE and ANA. However, one glaring difference I noticed was: ACHE's ethical code specifies provisions exclusively prohibiting deceptive financial practices; fraud, aggressive accounting, and abuse are strictly forbidden. In addition, ACHE's ethical code specifies steps to foster a climate where there will be minimal errors or misses, and urges medical staff to report such occurrences. This provision (section III, provisions H and I) outlines the requirement of a just organizational culture and the presence of supportive managers (ACHE).

Provisions from the ANA Code of Ethics that are the most important

All of ANA's nine provisions are critical to my profession, since I am both a healthcare provider and educator. However, four provisions stand out as exceedingly important; these are:

1. The primary commitment of nurses is to patients, whether they are a single person, a group, a family, or a whole community.

1. Nurses advocate for, promote, and endeavor to safeguard patient rights, health, and safety.

1. Nurses engage in advancing the profession by contributing to practice, knowledge development, education, and administration.

1. Nurses, in all of their professional relationships, practice with respect for and compassion towards every individual's inherent dignity, uniqueness and worth, unhindered by any considerations of economic or social status, nature of health issues, or personal attributes (American Nurses Association, n.d.).