This article was originally published on Kaplan Test Prep’s Calling All Nurses
According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession. There are 9 provisions in the code of ethics for nurses that encompass the standards in which nurses are to practice.
In part one of this three part series, we will introduce you to the 9 provisions within the code for ethics for nurses. Here are the 9 provisions as defined by the ANA:
Provision 1 -The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.
Provision 2 -The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community or population.
Provision 3 -The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.
Provision 4 -The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; makes decisions; and takes actions consistent with the obligation to promote health and provide optimal care.
Provision 5 -The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.
Provision 6 -The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.
Provision 7 – The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy.
Provision 8 -The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
Provision 9 -The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
Stay tuned for part two of this series where we will identify some common ethical dilemmas that nurses face, and in part three, we will offer easy strategies for incorporating these provisions of ethical nursing standards into your daily practice!
Best Wishes!
-Damion
This article was originally published on Calling All Nurses
