Mekha Project

8/3/2019 Mekha Project

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CONTENTS

CENTRAL OBJECTIVE

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

INTRODUCTION

CODE OF ETHICS

DEFINITION

CODE OF NURSES

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

OBJECTIVES

THE ICN CODE

ELEMENTS OF THE CODE

SUGESTION FOR USE OF THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

APPLYING THE ELEMENTS OF THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR

NURSES

DISSEMINATION OF THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FORNURSES

ANA CODE OF ETHICS



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CODE FOR NURSES IN THE NIGHTINGALE PLEDGE

USE OF CODE OF ETHICS

NURSES CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

NATIONAL STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION, INC.CODE OF

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

REMODELLING THE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERSONAL STANDARDS

ROLE OF NURSES IN SAFEGUARDING THE PATIENTS RIGHTS

ETHICS AND NURSING RESEARCH

CONCLUSION



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CENTRAL OBJECTIVE

On completion of the seminar, the group will acquire knowledge

regarding code of ethics, develop attitude of professional conduct and skill

in practicing code of ethics in nursing.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

On completion of the class, the student will be able to:

- define ethics

- state code for nurses

- enlist the ethical principles.

- explain ICN code of ethics for Nurses.

- enumerate the objectives of ICN.

- enlist the elements of the code.

- point out suggestion for use of ICN code.

- discuss applying the elements of ICN code of ethics for Nurses.

- describe the elements of the code.



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- state dissemination of code of ethics for nurses.

- explain ANA code of ethics.

- state the importance of code of Nurses in Nightingale pledge.

- enlist the uses of code of ethics.

- explain the nurses code of professional conduct.

- state the elements of professional conduct.

- enlist the National Student Nurses Association Inc. code of

professional conduct.

- explain the role of nurse in safeguarding human rights.

- state the relation between ethics and research.

INTRODUCTION

From the time you were very young you began to learn what was right

and what was wrong behaviour. You learnt this from your parents,

relatives, friends, teachers and other authority figures. Much of what you

learned was shaped by religious beliefs and the philosophy of life practiced

in your home. By the time you became an adult you had a personal life of

ethics to guide your behavior in daily life. As you relate to other people in

your home, work and society, you try to live up to this set of ethics. You

may believe, for example, that honesty is important and necessary. A high

standard of honesty will then guide you in what you do and say. You will try

to be honest because you believe it is right to do so. Being dishonest

would then be wrong for you. This is ethical behavior.

Just as you have a personal set of ethics, we have a set of ethics that is

used by nursing. It may be written or unwritten but each profession has a



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set of ethics usually called a code. This code tells the members what kind of

conduct is expected of them as they practice.

CODE OF ETHICS

ETHICS:

The Word Ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos which means

custom or guiding beliefs. Ethics are characteristics of a profession and are

called as code.

CODE OF ETHICS:

A code of ethics is a standard ethical principle that is accepted by all

members of a profession. The code of ethics will state what kind of conduct

is expected from the members of a profession and the society as a whole.

When a person becomes a member of a profession, he adopts or accepts

the responsibilities of living upto the code of ethics of that profession. In

nursing, code of ethics provide professional standard for nursing activities



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which protect the nurse and patient. Code refers to holistic care to the

individual, family and community. Code of ethics is not a strict set of rules.

It is a guide.

DEFINITION

Ethics is a system of moral principles, rules of conduct recognized in

respect to a particular class of human actions or to a particular group of

people.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human

conduct with respect to the right and wrong aspect of certain actions and to

the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Bioethics is principles and rules of conduct applied to living things. Bio

medical ethics is the system applied to the areas of human endeavour in

which health care is given.

Ethics refers to the moral component of nursing knowledge that

influences difficult decisions that must be made in the context of increasing

by complex health services. The ethical code of nursing emphasizes

principles of obligation through concepts of service to people and the

respect for human life. This pattern of knowing necessitates understanding

various philosophical orientations about what is right, good or desirable.

CODE FOR NURSES

Ethical concepts applied to Nursing as its guide for professional

conduct. Codes serve as guidelines to assist nurses and other

professional groups when conflict or disagreement arises about



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correct practice or behaviour. It provides a common foundation for

nurses training.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the International Council

of Nursing (ICN) have established widely accepted codes that you as

a nurse to follow.

Ethical Principles

All ethical problems involve moral principles. Such principles are

necessary to provide guidance for thought because universal solutions

cannot be reached in most ethical that can be rotely applied to another

problem. Each ethical problem must be examined in the context of the

particular circumstances. There are four guiding principles that are

important in bioethics:

1. Self-determination

2. Nonmaleficence

3. Beneficence

4. Justice



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Self determination, or autonomy, is a basic social value. An

autonomous act is an act of intention that is independent of coercion by

others.

Those giving care must acknowledge and respect the autonomy

of each client. It may be argued that the only permissible reason to remove

a persons social or personal autonomy is to prevent harm to others.

Respect for the clients autonomy and the opportunity for professional

autonomy in medical practice involve possession of the threshold element of

competence, the disclosure of information, and consent without duress. The

presence of these three elements imposes an order on conflicting claims

and offers finality, which is often sufficiently strong to override the law and

preventing custom.

As a result of the Karen Anne Quinlan case of 1976 and the Nancy

Cruzan case of 1989, focus on the autonomous rights of the patient has

sharpened. These two cases also focused on the rights of families or

surrogates to make choices for an incompetent patient. This enabled the

patients rights to be maintained even when the patients were silent. The

Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 obligated hospitals that accepted

payment from federal reimbursement plans to offer education to all patients

about advance directives and to provide a means for the individual to

execute an advance directive. These events led to the recognition that the

decision-making power once accorded only to physicians was now to be

shared by the individual patient and any number of other chosen surrogate

decision makers.



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To be able to make personal health care decisions, patients need

to understand all options available to them, the possible consequences of

acting on certain options, and the costs and benefits of the possible

consequences. Patients must be able to relate these understandings to a

personal framework of values and priorities. It must be remembered that

disagreeing with recommendation of the physician or APN is not, singularly,

grounds for determining that the patient is incapable of making a decision.

Nonmaleficence is the concern for doing no harm or evil.

Generally, the reference is to physical harm, pain, disability, and death, but

harm can be defined both broadly and narrowly. Actions that inflict harm

may be necessary for ultimate client well-being, but such actions always

require moral judgement. Doing something and doing nothing are both

actions determined by personal decision. As an example, withdrawal of

treatment is often deemed a nonmaleficence decision. If letting die seems

justifiable, the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration is usually seen as

justified. The literature does not support the concept that cessation of

artificial feeding and hydration is associated with pain or suffering, although

there may be increased stress for caregivers and family. The principle of

nonmaleficence requires an interpretation of values and the consideration of

risks and benefits as part of a thoughtful and careful action.

Beneficence is the act of promoting or doing good. This principle

is action-oriented and requires the provision of benefits and the balance of

harms and benefits. Ethical problems arise when benefits are conflicting.

The principle of beneficence often appears at odds with the principle of

veracity or truthfulness. As a professional, should one ever lie? Many believe

that, although truthful alternatives must always be sought, intrinsically a lie

may be a right choice if it is necessary to avoid greater evil. Specific criteria



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have been offered to assist the individual to determine whether a

paternalistic lie is justified.

y The lie produces positive benefits for the person lied to that

outweigh any evil that might result.

y It is possible to describe the greater good that would occur.

y The individual would have wanted to be lied to

y All participants would always be willing to allow the violation of

truthfulness.

Justice requires weighing issues and responding to the facts that are

present. Philosophically, no consensus exists about what constitutes justice.

The nurse in advanced practice is responsible for exhibiting just behavior

and distributing comparable treatment to each client; therefore, justice is an

active process. Retributive justice demands that if a client is harmed,

reparation, or a means by which to right the wrong, be applied.

THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

The first code of ethics called the International code of Nursing Ethics,

was adopted by the Grand council of the International council of Nurses at

Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1953. It was later revised in Frankfurt, Germany in

1965 and then became known as the ICN Code of Ethics. It has been

revised and reaffirmed at various times since, most recently with this

review and revision completed in 2005.

OBJECTIVES

y Nurses have four folds fundamental responsibilities:

To promote health



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To prevent illness

To restore health

To alleviate suffering

y The need for nursing is universal.

y Inherent in nursing is respect for human rights including:

Cultural rights

the right to life and choice

to dignity and to be treated with respect

y 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.

y 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

2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

3. NURSES AND PROFESSION



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4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

1. NURSES AND PEOPLE

The nurses 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 sufficient

information 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 also shares responsibility to sustain and protect the

natural environment from depletion, pollution, degradation and

destruction.

2. NURSES AND PRACTICE

The nurse carries personal responsibility and accountability for

nursing practice, and for maintaining competence by continual

learning.



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The nurse maintains a standard of personal health such that the

ability to provide health 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 public

confidence.

3. NURSES AND 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.

The nurse, acting through the professional organization,

participates in creating and maintaining safe, equitable social and

economic working conditions in nursing.

4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

The nurse sustains a cooperative relationship with co-workers in

nursing and other fields.



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The nurse takes appropriate action to safeguard individuals,

families and communities when their health is endangered by a

co-worker or any other person.

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,

internationalized 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

coworkers give a framework for the standards of conduct. The following

chart will assist to translate the standards into action. Nurses and nursing

students can therefore:

Study the standards under each elements of the code.



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Reflect on what each standard means to you. Think about how you

can apply ethics in your nursing domain: practice, education, research

or management.

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.

Discuss the code with co-workers and others.

Element of the Code # 1: NURSES AND PEOPLE

Practitioners and

Managers

Educators and

Researchers

National Nurses

Associations

Provide care that respects

human rights and is

sensitive to the values,

customs and beliefs of all

people.

In curriculum include

references to human

rights, equity, justice,

solidarity as the basis

for access to care

Develop position

statements and guidelines

that support human rights

and ethical standards.

Providing continuing

education in ethical

issues.

Provide teaching and

learning opportunities for

ethical issues and

decision making

Lobby for involvement of

nurses in ethics review

committees.



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Provide sufficient

information to permit

informed consent and the

right to choose or refuse

treatment.

Provide teaching/learning

opportunities related to

informed consent.

Provide guidelines,

position statements and

continuing education

related to informed

consent.

Use recording and

information management

systems that ensure

confidentiality.

Introduce into curriculum

concepts of privacy and

confidentiality.

Incorporate issues of

confidentiality and

privacy into a national

code of ethics for nurses.

Develop and monitor

environmental safety in

the work place.

Sensitive students to the

importance of social

action in current

concerns.

Advocate for safe and

healthy environment.

Element of the Code # 2: NURSES AND PRACTICE

Practitioners and

Managers

Educators and

Researchers

National Nurses

Associations

Establish standards of

care and a work settingthat promotes safety and

quality care

Provide teaching or

learning opportunities that poster lifelong learning

and competence for

practice.

Provide access to

continuing education,through journals

conferences, distance

education etc.



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Establish systems for

professional appraisal,

continuing education and

systematic renewal of

licensure to practice

Conduct and disseminate

research that shows links

between continual

learning and competence

to practice.

Lobby to ensure

continuing education

opportunities and quality

care standards.

Monitor and promote the

personal health of

nursing staff in relation to

their competence for

practice

Promote the importance of

personal health and

illustrate its relation to

other values.

Promote healthy lifestyles

for nursing professionals.

Lobby for healthy work

places and services

nurses.

Element of the Code # 3: NURSES AND PRACTICE

Practitioners and

Managers

Educators and

Researchers

National Nurses

Associations

Sets standards for

nursing practice, research

education and

management.

Provide teaching/learning

opportunities in setting

standards for nursing

practice, research,

education and

management.

Collaborate with others to

set standards for nursing

education practice,

research and

management.



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Foster workplace support

of the conduct,

dissemination and

utilization of research

related to nursing and

health

Conduct, dissemination

and utilize research to

advance the nursing

profession.

Develop position

statements, guidelines

and standards related to

nursing research.

Promote participation in

national nurses

association so as to

create favourable socio

economic conditions for

nurses.

Sensitive learners to the

importance of professional

nursing associations.

Lobby for fair social and

economic working

condition in nursing.

Develop position

statements and guidelines

in workplace issues.

Element of the Code # 4: NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

Practitioners and

Managers

Educators and

Researchers

National Nurses

Associations

Create awareness of specific

and overlapping function

and the potential for

interdisciplinary tensions.

Develop understanding

of the roles of other

workers.

Stimulate cooperation

with other related

disciplines.

Develop work place systems

that support common

Communicate nursing

ethics to other

Develop awareness of

ethical issues of other



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professional ethical values

and behaviour

professions professions.

Develop mechanism to

safeguard the individual,

family or community when

their care is endangered by

health care personnel

Instill in learners the

need to safeguard the

individual

Provide guidelines,

position statements

and discussion related

to safeguarding people

when their care is

endangered by health

care personnel.

DISSEMINATION OF THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

To be effective, the ICN code of Ethics for Nurses must be familiar

to nurses. ICN encourage to help with its dissemination to schools of

Nursing, practicing nurses, the nursing press and other mass media. The

code should also be disseminated to other health professions, the general

public, consumer and policy making groups, human rights organization and

employers of nurses.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR

NURSES

Co- Worker Other nurses and other health and

non-health related workers and

professionals.

Co-operative Relationship A professional relationship based on

collegial and reciprocal actions and

behaviour that aim to achieve certain

goals.



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Family A social unit composed of members

connected through blood, kinship,

emotional or legal relationships.

Nurse shares with society A nurse, as a health professional and acitizen, initiates and supports appropriate

action to meet the health and social

needs of the public.

Personal health Mental, physical, social and spiritual well

being of the nurse.

Personal information Information obtained during professional

contact that is private to an individual orfamily, and which, when disclosed, may

violate the right to privacy, cause

inconvenience, embarrassment, or harm to

the individual or family.

Related groups Other nurses, health, care workers or other

professionals providing service to an

individual, family or community and working

toward desired goals.

ANA CODE OF ETHICS

The nurse, in all professional relationships practices with compassion

and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every

individual, unrestricted by consideration of social or economic status,

personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.



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The nurse primary commitment is to the patient, whether an

individual, family group or community.

The nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to protect whether an

individual, family group or community.

The nurse promotes, advocates for and strives to protect the health

safety and rights of the patient.

The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing

practice and determines the appropriate delegation for tasks

consistnat with the nurses obligation to provide optimum patient care.

The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the

responsibility to preserve integrity and safety to maintain competence

and to continue personal and professional growth.

The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining and improving

health care environment and conditions of employment conductive to

the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of

the profession through individual and collective action.



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The nurse collaborates with other health professional and the public

in promoting community, national and international efforts to meet

health needs.

The profession of nursing as represented by associates and their

members is responsible for articulating nursing values for maintaining

the integrity of the profession and its practice and for shaping social

policy.

CODE FOR NURSES IN THE NIGHTINGALE PLEDGE

Some of the standards given in the Code for Nurse are also in

the Nightingale Pledge which is universally known. As a professional nurse,



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we have a responsibility to know, understand and practice the accepted

ethics of the nursing profession.

The Nightingale pledge

I solemnly, pledge myself before God and this assembly.

to practice my profession faithfully.

I will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.

I will do all in my power to elevate the standards of my profession and will

hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all

family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.

With loyalty I will

Devote myself to the Welfare of those committed to my care.

The pledges are personal promises which are more specific and much more

limited in content than the code. The code holds the nurse responsible for

behavior only when acting in a professional capacity. The pledge reflect the

role of women in society and the achievement of the nursing profession as

it becomes a more free, independent and self governing profession. It can

be used as a checklist for own professional standards of behavior. You

might want to ask the following questions.

Do I practice high moral standards?

Am I practicing my profession faithfully?

Is my work accurate and honest?



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Do I continue to learn about new developments as I should?

Is my professional conduct ethically correct?

Am I keeping away from anything that harms my health?

Am I taking or giving any harmful drugs?

Do I keep confidences that are entrusted to me?

Do I co-operate with other members of the health team?

Do I really devote myself to the welfare of those in my care?

Am I working only for the purpose of caring money?

Am I really dedicated to meeting the health needs of others?

One of the greatest adjustments for the nursing student is that of

accepting responsibility for professional conduct.

Use of code of Ethics

y A code of ethics is used to guide professional behavior.



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y In nursing education, the code help, teachers to know what

must be taught.

y If can be used to parent a nurse from practicing if his/ her

conduct is poor and clearly below the standards set by the

code.

y It can be used to protect a nurse who is falsely accused of

doing something wrong.

y It can also be used as a guide for direction when legal action

must be taken in a law suit.

Nurses Code of Professional Conduct.



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Nurses follow a professional code of conduct to insure safe and fair

patient care. Nurses play a vital role in health care and medical organizations.

Nurses provide direct care to patients in need at hospitals, community

centers, physician offices, nursing homes and schools.

The job of a nurse demands a caring nature but most of all a nurse

must abide by a professional code of conduct.

The nurses code of conduct encourages practicing nurses to provide

fair, safe and ethical treatment for all patients.

1. Commitment to Respect

2. Complete Patient Care

3. Right to privacy

4. Accountability and Responsibility

5. Practice Good Health

1. Commitment to Respect

y The nurses code of professional conduct stipulates that all nurses

must treat patients with dignity, respect and comparison

regardless of the nature of their health condition, economic

states, gender, race or personal attributes.

y The code strictly enforces that all patients are worth the dignity

and rights of human beings and so should not be discriminated

against for any reason while under a nurses care.

2. Complete Patient Care

y A nurses role responsibility is to provide the best care for her

patients.



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y The nurses code of professional conduct supports this

responsibility and reinforces that a nurses primary commitment is

to the patient, his family and community.

y Primarily, this means that a nurse should respect a patients

wishes when compiling medical care plans, even when it poses a

personal conflict of interest.

y Just as a customer is the first priority in a retail store, patients

come first in a medical setting.

3. Right to Privacy

y Not only do medical privacy laws protect a patients rights to

privacy but so does the nurses professional code of conduct.

y All nurses have a duty to maintain the confidentiality of each

patient, his treatment and care plans to protect the fundamentals

trust between a patient and his nurse.

y According to the code, only date relevant to a patients care

should be disclosed to the medical team and the patients family.

4. Accountability and Responsibility.

y On a regular basis, someones life is in the hands of a nurse.

y A nurses professional code of conduct stipulates that nurses bear

the role responsibility for patient care includes maintaining

professional licenses and participating in containing education

courses that will enhance a nurses practice.

5. Practice Good Health



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y Nurses act as role models to their parents. The nurses code of

professional conduct encourages nurses to model good health

habits for the patients they care for on a daily basis.

y Good health habits include:-

y Relaxation and recreation time

y Exercise

y Regular health care check ups

y Nutritious meals

y Adequate sleep

y Strong hygienic habits and cleanliness are absolutely necessary to

promote healthy lifestyle at a medical facility.

NATIONAL STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION, INC. CODE OF

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

As a member of the National Student Nurses association, I pledge

myself to

y Maintain the highest standard of personal and professional

conduct.

y Actively promote and encourage the highest level of either within

nursing, education, the profession of nursing, and the student

nurses association.

y Uphold all by laws and regulations relating to the student nurses

association at the chapter, state and national levels reserving the

right to criticize rules and laws constructively but respecting the

rules and laws as long as they prevail.

y Strive for excellence in all aspects of decision making and

management of all levels of student nurses association.



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y Use only legal and ethical principles in all association decisions

and activities.

y Ensure the proper use of all association funds.

y Serve all members of the student nurses association impartially,

provide no special privilege to any individual member, and accept

no personal compensation from another member or non-member.

y Maintain the confidentiality of privileged information entrusted or

known to me by virtue of an elected or appointed position in the

association.

y Refuse to engage in, or condone, discrimination on the basis of

race, gender, age, citizenship, religion, national origin severed

orientation, or disability.

y Refrain from any form of cheating or dishonesty, and take action

to report dishonorable practices to proper authorities using

established channels.

y Always communicate internal and external association statements

in a truthful and accurate manner by ensuring that there is

integrity in the date and information used by the student nurses

association.

y Cooperate in every reasonable and proper way with association

volunteers and staff and work with them in the advocacy of

student rights and responsibilities and advancement of the

profession of nursing.

y Use only opportunity to improve faculty understanding of the role

of the student nurses association.



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y Promote and encourage entering nursing students to joint and

become active in NSNA.

y Promote and encourage graduating serious to continue theirinvolvement by joining professional nurses associations upon

licensure as Registered Nurses.

REMODELLING THE CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

1. Should be professionally qualified for the posts to which they are

appointed and currently registered with the respective state nursing

registration council.

2. Should maintain a current knowledge and should be responsible for

updating their knowledge and skills in the area of practice through

ongoing education to make and maintain themselves capable of

providing best possible nursing care to the consumers such as patient,

families community and society.

3. Should aim their practice at health conservation, health maintenance,

health promotion, illness prevention, care in sickness, health restoration

and rehabilitation in sickness.

4. Should be able to demonstrate in their practice of nursing are sufficient

knowledge necessary skills and adequate level of competence in their

performance.

5. Should be responsible for keeping the nursing care consumers informed

about the process, purpose and outcome of nursing care intervention.



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6. Must ensure that their dealings and actions should enhance the trust and

respect of the nursing care consumers.

7. Should not disclose the confidential personal information of nursing care

consumers until and unless the information has a therapeutic purpose.

8. Should ensure that nursing intervention are always made in the best

must be supported by accurately written protocols and document.

9. Should ensure that their practice must reflect the respect towards the

personality, attitude, beliefs and custom of nursing are consumers.

10. Should ensure that nursing care is not influenced by the gender,

personality, religion, economics, political and social status of the

consumer.

11. Should consciously avoid negligence and unethical or wrongful acts in

performing nursing care practice. Any such practice by nursing or other

health care givers should be immediately brought to the notice of the

authority concerned.

12. Should ensure cost effective and oriented nursing practice.

13. Should ensure that the nursing practice act is incorporated into the

national health care policy and is centered on total health care needs of

the nursing care consumers.



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RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

If nurses are to be accountable for their care in a professional sense,

they also have a duty to keep up to date in the knowledge base of their

profession. It is not sufficient that a nurse pass her final examinations, qualify

and then never consider it necessary to continue her education. Nurse must

be responsible for the care they give, and it cannot be claimed that because

nurses work according to doctors orders they are example, if a nurse thinks

that a doctors prescription contains the wrong does of the drug, there is a

duty to question it, and if there is still doubt, to refuse to give the drug.

Nurses, along with the doctor, might be charged with negligence if they failed

to recognize the incorrectly prescribed dosage of a commonly known drug

such as digoxin.

In order to maintain professional standards, then, nurses must inform

themselves of a advances in knowledge of nursing care. Not only must the

profession ensure that its new recruits achieve a certain standard before they

are allowed to practice, but it must make certain that its established members

maintain those standards. Indeed, because nurse training involves a

substantial amount of learning on the job, it is imperatives that qualified

practitioners keep themselves up to date so that the learners are exposed to

practice of the right standard.



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ROLE OF NURSE IN SAFEGUARDING THE PATIENTS RIGHTS

The basic or fundamental rights of a patient are:

1. The right to obtain safe and competent care. The nurse as members of

the health team have an important role in protecting the patient form

unethical and incompetent practices.

2. The patient has the right to considerate and respectful care.

3. The patient has the right to be adequately informed about the disease

that he is suffering from, the meaning of various investigations carried

out, the mode of treatment and the prognosis. The patient has to feel

that his care and the well being are in the hands of competent people,

so that no harm will occur.

4. The patient has the right to privacy and confidentiality of information.

Any information collected about the patient or from his relatives or from

other sources should be kept secret and without permission of the

patient, it should never be told to anyone even to his relatives.

5. The patient has the right to accept or to refuse the treatment. The

medical team (doctors, nurses, technicians, paramedical staff stc.)

requires written consent from the patient or his relatives to ensure that

the patient has agreed legally to undergo operations and certain

investigations, particularly those procedures that are carried out under

general anesthesia. The patient only is consenting to that which he

clearly understands what is being done, its benefits and possible risks.

6. The patient has right to refuse or participate in the performance of

human experimentation affecting his care and treatment.



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7. The patient has the right to practice his own religion. The patient has the

right to obtain helps of the ministries of his religion at the time of

emergency.

ETHICS AND NURSING RESEARCH

One area of practice that has been of considerable concern to nurses

from an ethical point of view is research that involves human beings as

subjects. Both the American and Canadian Nurses Association have developed

position papers regarding this matter. The CAN paper, Ethics of Nursing

Research in its preamble states that:

Respect for the value of human life, for the worth and dignity of human

beings, and their rights to knowledge, privacy and self determination must

underlie research practices in nursing as in other health disciplines. The

legitimacy of involving human subjects in nursing as in other health disciplines.

The legitimacy of involving human subjects in nursing research must be

assessed within the context of these values. The right of the subjects to

informed consent, confidentiality, positive risk value, and competence of the

investigator must be assessed.

The American Nurses Association has two position papers on research,

one clearing with the rights of nurses in conducting research and other

concerning the rights of patients participating in research studies. The latter

states that:

The relationship of trust between the patient and nurse has always been

as essential element of the professional code of ethics. In research, the

relationship of trust between subject and investigator requires that the

investigator assume special obligations to safeguard the subjects in several



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way. The subject needs to be assured that his rights will not be violated

without his voluntary and informed consent. Secondly the investigator

guarantees that no risk, discomfort, invasion of privacy, or threat to personal

dignity beyond that initially stated in describing the subjects role in the study

will be imposed without further permission being obtained. Finally, the subject

is assured that if he does not wish to participate in the study, he will neither

be subjected to harassment or will the quality of his care be influenced by this

decision.



CONCLUSION

A code of Ethics states what kind of conduct is expected of the

members of a profession. The nurse is personally responsible to give the best

care possible, to continue learning and to judge skills in self or others. One of

the greatest adjustments in nursing is accepting responsibility for your own

professional behavior.

Documents

Mekha Project