A professional code of conduct
A professional code of conduct is a collection of ethical provisions intended to guide professionals during key decision-making situations (Butts & Rich, 2008). Every profession has a code of conduct that governs and regulates the behavior of those inside the profession's boundaries. The Nurse's Code of Ethics governs how nurses conduct themselves while performing their duties. It specifies the ethical norms to be followed when interacting with patients, fellow nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Any professional code contains regulations that vary depending on the organization. As a result, the requirements may differ from one health center to the next. Ethical principles guiding the nursing provisions include but are not limited to respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, confidentiality, and truthfulness and institutional ethics as explored in this essay.
Compassion and respect for dignity
Firstly, nurses are required to act with compassion and respect the inherent dignity, social worth and value the uniqueness of every patient. This provision is informed by the principle of respect for autonomy which dictates that a nurse should respect decisions made by individuals regarding their lives (Garrett et al., 2013). In this view, a nurse should not interfere with the decisions of competent adults. On the other hand, it also offers positive empowerment to nurses in the performance of their duties to patients who they are mandated to serve. Besides, it allows a nurse to treat a patient with the consent of his/her legal surrogate and in narrowly defined emergencies. Conflicts of interest arise when a nurse is compelled to act in conformity with the cultural values of a patient. In this instance, the health professional is allowed to reconcile respect for the culture and the patient's autonomy in administering treatment.
Authority, accountability, and responsibility
Secondly, nurses are authoritative, accountable, and responsible for nursing practice as well as for their actions. A nurse must make sound decisions that ensure the provision of optimal patient care. The principle of beneficence requires nurses to do good in the best interests of the patient. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a nurse to take decisive actions that ensure prevention of harm to the patient (Garrett et al., 2013). However, adopting this principle conflicts with the respect for the autonomy of the patient, thus it poses difficulties for physicians or nurses when they are denied consent when helping a patient. In this regard, specific policies should be put in place to minimize possibilities and enable healthcare professionals to make ethical choices.
Limitations and availability
Nevertheless, it is impossible to do all good due to the limitations of time and space. Our limited talents also limit our ability to do good at all times. Not everyone has the intelligence to be an atomic physicist or a designer of supercomputers. People have different strengths and capabilities. The limited intellectual, body, and coordination capabilities limit what individuals can do. Finally, the state-of-the-art in a particular area, as well as the availability of state-of-the-art tools (Garrett et al., 2013). Not every healthcare facility can afford the modern technology. Therefore, decisions are made depending on the affordability of medical equipment.
Equal, fair, and impartial treatment
Nurses are obliged to the provision of patients with proper medical care without discrimination by race, gender, or culture. Equal, fair, and impartial treatment of all citizens is a fundamental requirement (Butts & Rich, 2008). It is the responsibility of nurses to provide care without exception relative to financial support, gifts affiliation or in-kind services. Health care professionals should uphold inclusivity and diversity in ensuring access to health care. All people are entitled to equal opportunities and treatment. Conflicts of interest arise when health care professionals have to make critical decisions on the health status of the patients to be attended first, especially in a facility where the healthcare professionals are insufficient. In dealing with this conflict, measures should be put in place to ensure adequate personnel to attend to patients. Moreover, health professionals should explain to the patients such a scenario to avoid conflicts.
Honesty, loyalty, and confidentiality
A nurse should uphold honesty, loyalty, and confidentiality of the patient seeking treatment (Butts & Rich, 2008).The principle of truthfulness and confidentiality hinders a nurse from disclosing any information related to the patient's diagnosis and treatment to a third party. Violation of privacy can attract dire consequences to the patient, to the society as well as to the nursing profession. Even so, confidential information can be shared in legal medical consultations and disclosed when there are proper court orders. Conflicts of interest arise when determining when and how to reveal the results of the diagnosis to the family members of the patient. In most cases, this leads to a breach of confidentiality of the patient in unclear circumstances. In this regard, appropriate statutory measures should be designed to safeguard the profession. Additionally, health care professionals should undergo in-service training to make them conversant with matters arising regarding patient confidentiality and the appropriate decisions to take.
Conclusion
In conclusion, every profession has ethical principles which govern its conduct. Having a code of ethics guides nurses through problematic situations. It also serves as a reference point for all healthcare professionals. The primary role of nursing ethics is to ensure patient protection. Violation of ethical principles can result in inefficient healthcare delivery and harm to patients.
References
Butts, J., & Rich, K. (2008). Nursing ethics across the curriculum and into practice (2nd.ed.,). Sunbury, MA: Jones and Barlett.
Garrett, M., Harold, W., John, M., & Rosellen, M. (2013). Health Care Ethics, 6th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
