Nursing ethics is a subset of biomedical ethics that emphasizes patient autonomy, human rights, and compassionate care. Nurses are expected to adhere to professional standards, pursue continuing education, and advocate for patients and communities. Failure to comply with nursing ethics can result in disciplinary action.
Nursing ethics is an area of ethics that pertains to the nursing profession. It shares many similarities with medical ethics, and both can be grouped under the umbrella of biomedical ethics, the field of ethics surrounding the biomedical sciences. There are a number of professional journals on nursing ethics, along with organizations that discuss ethical issues related to nursing. Professional organizations of nurses also usually set their own ethical standards, revising them periodically to meet changing ethical norms.
Central to nursing ethics is the idea that nursing is a collaborative occupation and that patients are entitled to as much bodily autonomy as possible. Many codes of ethics for nursing emphasize the human rights component, the need to obtain informed consent from patients whenever possible, and the need to target the patient’s needs and wishes when developing plans for patient care . “Caring, not caring” is sometimes used to describe this, with the idea that the nurse cannot focus on medical treatments and ignore the patient’s needs.
As in other branches of biomedical ethics, nursing ethics emphasizes that nurses should do nothing that would actively inflict harm on a patient, whether it be physical or emotional harm. Nurses are also obligated to observe professional standards in their dealings with patients and other medical professionals with whom they interact. Many codes of nursing ethics specifically direct nurses to use respect and compassion in their interactions with patients and also encourage nurses to act as advocates for patients and communities.
It is not uncommon for a nursing code of ethics to indicate that nurses should pursue professional development and continuing education, whether they are working in research, medical practice, product development, policy advice, or some other capacity. This echoes licensing requirements, with continuing education required to maintain a nursing license in most regions of the world. A code of ethics for nurses may also emphasize that nurses should be involved in efforts to improve health care, make health care more affordable, and raise the standard of living in their communities.
Professional nurses must adhere to a code of ethics. In addition to providing standards of behavior that the nurse uses in practice, an indication that a nurse intends to conform to ethical standards is usually required to maintain membership in professional organizations and to maintain a nursing license. Failure to comply with nursing ethics can result in an ethics hearing and the potential suspension, termination, or revocation of a nursing license.
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