Ethics is part of the framework in the practice of every profession. When you enter a career, not only are you expected to learn the technical skills on how to perform the job well, but also have to learn the moral skills on how to accomplish the job in the good way and with dignity. That is when the code of ethics comes into play. The code of ethics is basically a list of policies and guidelines that is used to shape the ethical behavior for members of a group, association, or profession. Each organization has its own code of ethics to work by. Not only does a code of ethics help with the confidence in the organization but also can show that members are committed to the ethical guidelines that are set before them. .
The Code of Ethics for nurses was developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA). It describes what nurses should understand about their ethical responsibilities. It also lets others know what is expected of nurses. Nurses who follow this code of ethics are destined to improve the quality of care that they provide, promote the profession of nursing and increase their degree of professionalism.
Provision number one in the Code of Ethics states that nurses should treat all patients and coworkers with compassion and respect. The nurse should not be influenced by the persons social status, health conditions, economic status or personal attributes. Every client, patient and co-worker should be treated equally. While this may seem like common sense, it is not always easy to do. Nurses may still dislike a patient, but they should not treat them this way. The first provision has a lot to do with human dignity. Human dignity means that all humans should be treated equally. Nurses should respect each and every patient and family member as well as every co-worker. Nurses have a responsibility to treat others the way he or she would like to be treated. The respect for human dignity is justified by the principle of autonomy.
