Code of Ethics in Nursing

The importance of the code of ethics in nursing
The Code of Ethics forms the foundation for candidates who aspire to join the nursing occupation. The guide is an indispensable set of standards that every nurse must embrace. It also acts as a reminder about their social responsibilities and commitments as nurses. The Code of Ethics further stipulates that nurses should enhance their learning together with evidence-based service. The transformations in the code depend on both moral variations and societal ideals (Y?ld?z, 2019). This section of the papers highlights the code's significance specifically for a Registered Nurse (RN). To attain this milestone, the paper identifies the American Nurses Association Standards of Practice that focuses on nurses' licensure. The paper refers to scholarly sources to support the significance of the code.
The nursing practice involves decisions that oscillate between life and death. Ethics are hence essential in the maintenance of nursing integrity. The nursing world dynamics call for constant support among nurses to aid in the fulfillment of their ethical duties both to the public and the patients. Each day presents new challenges that require unique resolution methods. According to Gibbons and Jeschke (2016), "The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements," often referred to as "The Code," is a prerequisite in nursing presently and in the future. Ideally, the code's principal values remain the same but face regular updates to match the changes in health, financing, structure, and delivery. The code helps the nurses offer consistent, humane, respectful, and honorable care to the needy (Gibbons & Jeschke, 2016). These values are strongly tied to the nursing practice, but failures in the US health care system pose major challenges in attaining the desired goals. The Code, which comprises nine fundamental elements, outlines every nurse's provisions to follow ethical standards, duties, and obligations when executing their mandate. It also explicitly expresses the commitment of nurses to serve society.
Another significant role of the Code is the emphasis on commitment and values that must be followed by nurses. The Code partitions the features into different provisions (1-3, 4-6, and 7-9), each with different recommendations. Section 4-6 describes the boundary between loyalty and duty. Section 7-9 outlines the duties of RN beyond personal interaction. The Code gives provisions that guide nurses during challenging circumstances, such as situations that require deep interpretations (Gibbons & Jeschke, 2016). It does so by responding to contemporary nursing issues
The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements represents a contract between the US public and the nurses. It explains nursing interactions aimed at attaining quality and safe health care. It unites nurses in their journey of fulfilling professional and ethical duties (Gibbons & Jeschke, 2016). The Code sums up all ethical concerns or challenges that nurses face when executing their mandate.
American Nurses Association Standards of Practice for the licensure of RN
ANA developed standards that RNs should follow in their practice. ANA made the first publication in 1973, and the standards get updated as per nursing dynamics. The standards explain the nature of nursing roles where RNs should show accountability. They also stipulate public scenarios where RNs should assume responsibility. (ANA, 2010, p. 1).
ANA standards elucidate different competency levels and the type of care in every phase. They offer a reference point that nurses can use to evaluate their performance. The standards' principal goal involves setting directions on how to attain clinically safe and competent nursing procedures. Professional guidelines promote clinical practice among RNs by providing assessment tools that focus on safety and expertise.
Clinical checklists used in evaluation derive their measurement tools from the professional standards. Employers use such details to assess the proficiency of the nurses. Employers make deductions about the possibilities of poor nursing practices among the employees. They also form a comparison tool between governing healthcare rules and nursing workplaces. According to David (2014), the standards enable RNs, organizations, and management to develop the documentation, policies, staffing rules, duty delegation, and other related elements.
A typical example is a nurse who exposes, through social media, that they are serving a patient with a specific health condition. Such actions violate clinical standards like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. RNs who exhibit such behavior risk loss of licensure.
Another vital contribution of the professional guidelines is establishing a platform that ensures nurses make competent decisions when offering services. The standards ensure that the nurses remain patient-centered and operate under minimal risks. The standards' framework encourages RNs to improve on their knowledge capabilities through education and experience (Davis, 2014). The guidelines also offer a perfect assessment platform where RNs can check on their weak areas and even improve workplaces. Improvements take various forms, for example, enhanced safety and better services to the patients. The RNs must adopt the established standards and employ them to register changes in society in their daily service.
Conclusion
The Code of Ethics is an essential nursing tool that comes with both complexity and sensitivity. The integrity of human life must be withheld at all costs and protected from any form of harm. Errors of omission or negligence in nursing practices are highly discouraged. Standards and ethics ensure that RNs strive to meet clinical expectations to improve the lives of people. They also act as reminders of their cardinal duty of saving lives. Both ethics and standards must be employed in every nursing process phase, such as assessment, planning, and diagnosis. Diversion from the accepted ethical standards risks the life of the patient and the career of the RN.
References
American Nurses Association (2010). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.
Davis, C. (2014). The importance of professional standards. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!, Volume 12(Issue 5) - p 4.
Gibbons, S. W., & Jeschke, E. A. (2016). Nursing ethics: A lifelong commitment. Annual review of nursing research, 34(1), 1-14.
Y?ld?z, E. (2019). Ethics in nursing: A systematic review of the framework of evidence perspective. Nursing Ethics, 26(4), 1128-1148.