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Code Of Ethics In Nursing Research

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Professional Code of Conduct for Nurses
Sasha Gonzalez
Nova Southeastern University Professional Code of Conduct for Nurses The Code of Ethics for Nurses, by the American Nurses Association serves as a foundation for professional nursing care. Having a code of ethics guides nurses in giving quality, proficient and ethical care to their patients. It is said in the sixth edition of the Health Care Ethics book that, “the nurse’s primary obligation is to provide the best possible care for the patient and not merely to serve institutions and physicians” (Baillie et al. 2013. P.25). Nurses should be looked at as independent thinkers, due to making critical choices when it comes in making the best decision for the care of their patients. …show more content…
Baille et al (2013) declares the ordinary ethics of truthfulness is generally summed up in two commands, “First, do not lie. Second, you must communicate with those who have a right to the truth” (p.114). Integrity is a vital part of a nursing career and is highlighted in provision 5 within the Code of Ethics for Nurses. To name a few it is not tolerated for a nurse to withhold information from a patient, deceive them to believe in something that is not reality, and falsify records. By being dishonest a nurse is disregarding their duty to the patient, family, and community and shows unethical character. A personal example that I have experienced pertaining to the principle of honesty would be a day when the nurse that I was assigned was giving medication to a patient who was experiencing moderate pain. The nurse scanned the medication and saw that the dose for acetaminophen was incorrect. She had only grabbed one pill instead of two from the medication room. Instead of being honest with the patient about the mistake and that she will be right back with the correct dosage, she administered the one pill to the patient and put into the computer that she went to receive the correct dosage and signed off on it. The actions by the nurse were unethical for not providing accurate treatment and comfort to the patient and acting in a …show more content…
This is also a matter of privacy, which is a considerable patient right. In 1996 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) issued the Privacy Rule for this very reason. The standard states, “For every encounter the patient has with the health care system the patient has to designate who has the right to receive information regarding medical problems and care. So this rule makes confidentiality a legal requirement not simply a matter of ethics.” In provision 3 privacy and confidentiality are seen as main fundamental values and commitments of the nurse when striving to protect the health, safety, and rights of all patients (ANA,

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