Nurses provide care to patients of all ages, and they frequently encounter challenging moral decisions with no easy solutions. To prepare for difficult situations when judgments about life and death may need to be made, nurses are required to read not just the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics during their training but also go through the guidelines provided by best assignment helpers.
Because they take their ethical duties seriously, nurses are trusted by the general population. A 2020 Gallup Poll placed nursing ahead of 15 other professions, such as write my nursing assignment service providers, physicians, chemists, teachers, journalists, police officers, and attorneys, as the most moral and honest career. In this same poll, auto salesmen and members of Congress tied for the bottom place.
Nursing Ethics: A Definition
Nursing ethics refers to the fundamental beliefs, rules, and conduct norms that are thought to be required for the practice of licensed nursing. In the course of their work, nurses seek advice from the ethical standards of their profession when presented with moral dilemmas.
More consideration goes into making ethical judgments than simply using morality to define right and wrong. When two ethical standards conflict and a judgment needs to be taken, an ethical dilemma arises.
Defining legal and ethical responsibilities of Nurses
To enhance clarity, interpretive remarks were subsequently included. According to Nurse.org, The legal responsibilities of nurses are influenced by nursing ethics standards of practice.
Honour Individuality
The autonomy and right to self-determination of patients are respected and acknowledged by ethical nurses.
To help consumers make educated decisions about their medical treatment, they provide information about diseases and healthcare scenarios.
To help patients better understand treatment alternatives, risks, and potential side effects, the nurse may provide suggestions about topics they should consider with their doctor.
Understanding the patient’s age, degree of suffering, cultural background, spiritual beliefs, and other variables that could affect their opinions and decisions is necessary to respect their autonomy.
Encourage social justice
All patients’ values and dignity are respected to the fullest extent by just and moral nurses. They offer high-quality, nonjudgmental nursing care in every situation, as “Nursing Ethical Considerations” explains. Friends and relatives who are active in the patient’s life are treated with the same kindness and consideration.
Fair patient treatment and social fairness are values held by ethical nurses. Discriminatory or illegal actions are not accepted. They support health initiatives that help marginalized communities and work towards fair healthcare delivery systems.
Be Benevolent
A nurse’s primary responsibility is to promote treatment that aids in the patient’s immediate recovery.
The nurse should redirect the discussion back to the patient’s priorities and preferences when the opinions of social workers, medical specialists, and patients’ relatives differ.
Ethical nurses understand that a patient has the right to participate in the planning and delivery of their care when they are competent.
Keep Your Professional Distance
Nurses provide steadfast support and comfort to vulnerable patients who may need longer stays in hospitals or assisted living facilities.
A common way that patients and their families express gratitude for a nurse’s compassion is by providing costly, unsuitable presents like diamonds.
Patients could even experience love thoughts or form a close bond with a particular nurse. Setting boundaries and keeping a professional yet friendly distance are crucial ethical duties for nurses in these predictable emotional circumstances.
Keep Complete Confidentiality
Patience and confidentiality are essential in all healthcare vocations, including nursing. Knowing and following local, state, federal, and institutional rules around the handling of personal patient information is morally necessary for a nurse.
Charts, informed consent forms, patient disclosure papers, and medical information need to be kept safe. Private patient data disclosure is punishable by law and may result in termination from work.
Show Off Your Professionalism
A nurse never finishes their education or training, even after passing the NCLEX and obtaining a state nursing license. It is morally necessary for nurses to stay current with best practices and updated professional standards.
A nurse’s license must be renewed in several states, including California, where completing 30 hours of continuing education is mandatory. The ACLU website lists the requirements for continuous education set forth by state boards of nursing.
Avoid Having Conflicts of Interest
Honesty, integrity, dependability, objectivity, and impartiality are among the core principles of ethical nurses.
For any reason, they never waver from their professional standards. For instance, even in situations where cases are mounting, a nurse’s ethical duty when gathering forensic evidence is to take the necessary time to complete the task.
In addition, nurses have an ethical duty to declare any conflicts of interest and to leave circumstances in which they are unable to maintain objectivity and uphold their ethical duties.
Keep Your Professional Distance
Nurses provide unwavering support and comfort to vulnerable patients who may need prolonged stays in hospitals or nursing facilities. When a nurse shows compassion, patients and their families often show their appreciation by giving expensive gifts like valuable jewelry.
Patients could even experience love thoughts or form a close bond with a particular nurse. Setting boundaries and keeping a professional yet friendly distance are crucial ethical duties for nurses in these predictable emotional circumstances.
Avoid harming somebody.
A nurse’s primary legal obligation is patient safety. Additionally, nurses must practice within the parameters of their license. Likewise, a registered nurse is not permitted to administer a nurse practitioner’s therapy.
In summary
In summary, nurses have legal and ethical duties to fulfill to guarantee that patients receive safe and effective treatment.
In every aspect of their work, nurses maintain legal requirements and ethical standards as acknowledged members of the healthcare community.
The Code of Ethics established by the American Nurses Association offers nurses a framework of principles to assist them navigate moral dilemmas and handling challenging circumstances with honor.
In addition to putting patients’ autonomy and moral principles first, nurses also work to promote social justice, show compassion, uphold professional boundaries, protect patient privacy, and improve their professional competence through ongoing education and training.
