CLASS ROOM PRESENTATION

SUBJECT: ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE

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[Pick the date]
UNIT I: NURSING AS A PROFESSION

TOPIC: CODE OF ETHICS (INC), CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

(INC), AUTONOMY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, ASSERTIVENESS,
VISIBILITY OF NURSES, LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

CHAIR PERSON

DR.K.LALITHA

PROFESSOR & HOD

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

NIMHANS

PRESENTER

JINTO PHILIP

I MSc PSYCHIATRIC NURSING

NIMHANS
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INTRODUCTION

Health care delivery system has undergone notable changes during the last few decades,
including increased client participation, shorter hospital stays, and restructuring services to provide care in
settings such as outpatient clinics, short-stay units, long-term care and in home-care. For nurses, these
changes have contributed to the development of new clinical environment and expanded practice. Nurses
today frequently encounter difficult situations involving decisions about the best course of action. Nurses
are obligated to provide ethical and legal client care that demonstrates respect for others. Both fundamental
principles of health care ethics and laws governing the scope of nursing guide nursing practice in all
situations.6

CODE OF ETHICS
Code - A code may be defined as conventionalized set of rules or expectations devised for a specific
purpose.6
Ethics-Word ethics is derived from the word Ethos. It is a Greek word and meaning of this word is

customs, character or conduct. It may be related to a person or a profession or a professional body. When
we study beliefs and assumptions it is moral philosophy and principles of morality tell us how human
beings should behave with each other. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that examines the difference
between right and wrong. Ethics are meant for holistic development of a professional.

The term refers to the consideration of standards of conduct or the study of philosophical ideals of
right and wrong behavior. (American Heritage Dictionary, 2007)5
Code of Ethics-A specific set of professional behaviors and values the professional interpreter must
know and must abide by, including confidentiality, accuracy, privacy, integrity.3
What professionals ought or ought not to do, how they ought to comport themselves, what they, or
the profession as a whole, ought to aim at. (Litchenberg 1996)2

An ethical code is adopted by an organization in an attempt to assist those in the organization

called upon to make a decision (usually most, if not all) understand the difference between 'right' and

'wrong' and to apply this understanding to their decision. The ethical code therefore generally implies

documents at three levels:

Code of ethics

A code of ethics often focuses on social issues. It may set out general principles about an

organization's beliefs on matters such as mission, quality, privacy or the environment. It may delineate

proper procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics has occurred and, if so, what

remedies should be imposed. The effectiveness of such codes of ethics depends on the extent to which

management supports them with sanctions and rewards. Violations of a private organization's code of ethics
usually can subject the violator to the organization's remedies. The code of ethics links to and gives rise to a

code of conduct for employees.7

Code of conduct (employee ethics)

A code of conduct is a document designed to influence the behavior of employees. They set out

the procedures to be used in specific ethical situations, such as conflicts of interest or the acceptance of

gifts, and delineate the procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics occurred and, if

so, what remedies should be imposed. The effectiveness of such codes of ethics depends on the extent to

which management supports them with sanctions and rewards. Violations of a code of conduct may subject

the
ETHICAL & LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS IN NURSING
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violator to the organization's remedies which can under particular circumstances result in the termination of
employment.7
Code of practice (professional ethics)

A code of practice is adopted by a profession or by a governmental or non-governmental

organization to regulate that profession. A code of practice may be styled as a code of professional

responsibility, which will discuss difficult issues, difficult decisions that will often need to be made, and

provide a clear account of what behavior is considered "ethical" or "correct" or "right" in the circumstances.

In a membership context, failure to comply with a code of practice can result in expulsion from the

professional organization.7

CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES

Ethics gives the professionals various guidelines that how should they behave with each other,
with the public and with governments. These are guideline which the professional should follow when they
are dealing with their clients or patients. Ethics also tell the public that what they can expect from a
professional and tells the professionals that what the public expects from them. Ethics are needed for every
profession so that nobility and respect of that profession remains undiminished.

Nursing ethics refers to ethical issues that occur in nursing practice4

Nursing is a great profession, giving a healing touch to patients along with taking care of their
diseases and maintaining their health. This profession is held in high esteem but this esteem varies in
different countries. This difference is not without reasons. In some countries the associations of nurses have
their own code of ethics. These associations lay stress on the following of ethical codes. Strict following of
the codes in some countries leads to credibility of that profession and esteem of that profession rises
automatically. This leads us to believe that there is no alternative to following of the codes of ethics. Ethics
are needed both for the nurses as well as the nursing students. For nurses in India the Indian Nursing
Council (INC) has laid down code of ethics and professional conduct.

CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT (INDIAN NURSING COUNCIL)

KEY WORDS

Assurance: A promise that you will definitely do something1

Health: A state of dynamic balance of an individuals ability to perform personally

valued roles and responsibilities, to deal and cope with physical, biological, psychological and social
stresses and challenges throughout the life while continuing to maintain a sense of well-being.1

Nurse: Nurse is a person who has completed prescribed course in Nursing from an institution recognized by
Indian Nursing Council and registered herself/himself under the State Nursing council as Nurse and
midwife.
Nursing: Nursing is a professional service for enabling a person to maintain and sustain health and
wellbeing.