The ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES
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Copyright © 2000 by ICN - International Council of Nurses,3, place Jean-Marteau, CH-1201 Geneva (Switzerland) ISBN: 92-95005-16-3

The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses

An international code of ethics for nurses was first adopted by the International
Council of Nurses (ICN) in 1953. It has been revised and reaffirmed at various
times since, most recently with this review and revision completed in 2000. The
ICN Code of Ethics is also available in French [pdf file] Spanish [pdf file] German.

Preamble
Nurses have four fundamental responsibilities: to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering. The need for nursing is universal.
Inherent in nursing is respect for human rights, including the right to life, to dignity and to be treated with respect. Nursing care is unrestricted by considerations of age, colour, creed, culture, disability or illness, gender, nationality, politics, race or social status.
Nurses render health services to the individual, the family and the community and co-ordinate their services with those of related groups.

THE CODE
The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses has four principal elements that outline the standards of ethical conduct.

Elements of the Code
1. Nurses and people
The nurse’s primary professional responsibility is to people requiring nursing care.
In providing care, the nurse promotes an environment in which the human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of the individual, family and community are respected.
The nurse ensures that the individual receives sufficient information on which to base consent for care and related treatment.
The nurse holds in confidence personal information and uses judgment in sharing this information.
The nurse shares with society the responsibility for initiating and supporting action to meet the health and social needs of the public, in particular those of vulnerable populations.
The nurse also shares responsibility to sustain and protect the natural environment from depletion, pollution, degradation and destruction.

2. Nurses and practice
The nurse carries personal responsibility and accountability for nursing practice, and for maintaining competence by continual learning.
The nurse maintains a standard of personal health such that the ability to provide care is not compromised.
The nurse uses judgment regarding individual competence when accepting and delegating responsibility.
The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct which reflect well on the profession and enhance public confidence.
The nurse, in providing care, ensures that use of technology and scientific advances are compatible with the safety, dignity and rights of people.


3. Nurses and the profession
The nurse assumes the major role in determining and implementing acceptable standards of clinical nursing practice, management, research and education.
The nurse is active in developing a core of research-based professional knowledge.
The nurse, acting through the professional organisation, participates in creating and maintaining equitable social and economic working conditions in nursing.

4. Nurses and co-workers
The nurse sustains a co-operative relationship with co-workers in nursing and other fields.
The nurse takes appropriate action to safeguard individuals when their care is endangered by a co-worker or any other person.

Suggestions for use of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses is a guide for action based on social values and needs. It will have meaning only as a living document if applied to the realities of nursing and health care in a changing society.
To achieve its purpose the Code must be understood, internalised and used by nurses in all aspects of their work. It must be available to students and nurses throughout their study and work lives.

Applying the Elements of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
The four elements of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses: nurses and people, nurses and practice, nurses and co-workers, and nurses and the profession, give a framework for the standards of conduct. The following chart will assist nurses to translate the standards into action. Nurses and nursing students can therefore:
·  Study the standards under each element of the Code.
·  Reflect on what each standard means to you. Think about how you can apply   ethics in your nursing domain: practice, education, research or management.
·  Discuss the Code with co-workers and others.
·  Use a specific example from experience to identify ethical dilemmas and standards of conduct as outlined in the Code. Identify how you would resolve  the dilemma.
·  Work in groups to clarify ethical decision making and reach a consensus on standards of ethical conduct.
·  Collaborate with your national nurses’ association, co-workers, and others in the continuous application of ethical standards in nursing practice, education, management and research.



















Element of the Code # 1 : NURSES AND PEOPLE
Practitioners and Managers 
Educators and Researchers
National Nurses’ Associations
Provide care that aspects human rights and is sensitive to the values, customs and beliefs of people.

Provide continuing education in
ethical issues.


Provide sufficient information to permit informed consent and the
right to choose or refuse
treatment.

Use recording and information management systems that ensure confidentiality.


Develop and monitor
environmental safety in the workplace.

In curriculum include references to human rights, equity, justice,
solidarity as the basis for access to care.

Provide teaching and learning opportunities for ethical issues and decision making.

Provide teaching/learning
opportunities related to informed consent.



Introduce into curriculum
concepts of privacy and
confidentiality.



Sensitize students to the
importance of social action in
current concerns.
Develop position statements and guidelines that support human rights and ethical standards.

Lobby for involvement of nurses
in ethics review committees.

Provide guidelines, position statements and continuing education related to informed consent.

Incorporate issues of
confidentiality and privacy into a national code of ethics for
nurses.

Advocate for safe and healthy
environment.

Element of the Code # 2 : NURSES AND PRACTICE
Practitioners and Managers
Educators and Researchers
National Nurses’ Associations
Establish standards of care and a work setting that promotes quality care.

Establish systems for
professional appraisal, continuing education and systematic renewal of licensure to practice.

Monitor and promote the personal health of nursing staff in relation
to their competence for practice.
Provide teaching/learning
opportunities that foster life long learning and competence for practice.

Conduct and disseminate
research that shows links
between continual learning and competence to practice.

Promote the importance of personal health and illustrate its relation to other values.

Provide access to continuing education, through journals,
conferences, distance education, etc.
Lobby to ensure continuing
education opportunities and
quality care standards.

Promote healthy lifestyles for nursing professionals. Lobby for healthy workplaces and services
for nurses.



Element of the Code # 3 : NURSES AND THE PROFESSION

Practitioners and Managers
Educators and Researchers
National Nurses’ Associations
Set standards for nursing
practice, research, education and management.



Foster workplace support of the conduct, dissemination and
utilization of research related to nursing and health.

Promote participation in national nurses’ associations so as to
create favourable socio-economic conditions for nurses.

Provide teaching/learning
opportunities in setting standards for nursing practice, research,
education and management.

Conduct, disseminate and utilize research to advance the nursing
profession.



Sensitize learners to the
importance of professional
nursing associations.


Collaborate with others to set
standards for nursing education,
practice, research and
management.

Develop position statements, guidelines and standards related
to nursing research.



Lobby for fair social and
economic working conditions in nursing. Develop position statements and guidelines in workplace issues.

Element of the Code #4 : NURSES AND CO-WORKERS
Practitioners and Managers
Educators and Researchers
National Nurses’ Associations
Create awareness of specific and overlapping functions and the
potential for interdisciplinary tensions.

Develop workplace systems that support common professional
ethical values and behaviour.

Develop mechanisms to
safeguard the individual, family or community when their care is
endangered by health care personnel.

Develop understanding of the roles of other workers.



Communicate nursing ethics to other professions.



Instil in learners the need to safeguard the individual, family or
community when care is
endangered by health care personnel.

Stimulate co-operation with other
related disciplines.



Develop awareness of ethical issues of other professions.



Provide guidelines, position statements and discussion for a
related to safeguarding people when their care is endangered by health care personnel.




Dissemination of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
To be effective the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses must be familiar to nurses. We encourage you to help with its dissemination to schools of nursing, practising nurses, the nursing press and other mass media. The Code should also be disseminated to other health professions, the general public, consumer and policy making groups, human rights organisations and employers of nurses.


Glossary of terms used in the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses:

Co-operative relationship  ; A professional relationship based on collegial and reciprocal actions, and behaviour that aim to achieve certain goals.

Co-worker : Other nurses and other health and non-health related workers
and professionals.

Nurse shares with society :A nurse, as a health professional and a citizen, initiates and supports appropriate action to meet the health and social
needs of the public.

Personal health: Mental, physical, social and spiritual well -being of the nurse.

Personal information: Information obtained during professional contact that is private to an individual or family, and which, when disclosed, may violate the right to privacy, cause inconvenience, embarrassment, or harm to the individual or family.

Related groups: Other nurses, health care workers or other professionals
providing service to an individual, family or community and working toward desired goals.


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