Question

How does the Code of Ethics guide you in a spur-of-the-moment situation when a response is expected quickly?

Answer 1

The Nursing Code of Ethics was created in 1950 by the American Nurses Association (ANA) to help and enable the nurses with the ability to handle different critical situations that they face on daily basis in this profession. It contains a list of responsibilities and behavior that a nurse is supposed to endorse so that they can effectively guide them in a spur-of-the-moment situation when a response is expected quickly. In a situation of a moral or enthical dilemma, the code of ethics can direct them with the most relevant and suitable job decision-making processes that evaluate certain situations to arrive at appropriate solutions. For example provision two of nursing code of ethics states that nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient. So in a situation where other factors like patient's family, friends or society are hindering her thought process, this provision can help her to think from patient's perspective and not others. Similarly, provision four of nursing code of ethics states that the nurse herself has the authority, accountability, and responsibility to make decisions and take action that promote health and to provide optimal care to the patient and hence in an urgent situation she will not wait for the consent of the physician and carry out what is good for the patient at that critical point. In the same way the sixth provision enables her with the right to make individual or collective effort, establish, maintain, and improve the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.