Code of Ethics in Nursing

Code of Ethics in Nursing

1. Respect individual needs

   • Recognise family or communnity ties
     • Let others participate in care as patient wishes
       • Family
       • Religious persons
         • eg. Priests
   • Provide
     • Comfort
     • Care
     • Dignity
     • confidentiality
     • release from discomfort
       • Alleviate suffering
     • Protection
       • from sexual exploitation
       • from physical harm
   • develop relationship
     • Trust
     • Confidence
     • Professional
       • Power Relationship
         • Maintain boundaries
   • Human Rights and Equal opportunity act
     • therefore regardless of, but with respect to
       • mental status
         • Vulnerable group
       • culture
       • Gender
       • disability
       • Age
       • Spirituality
         • Religious beliefs considered
           • eg. no blood transfusion for a jehovah's witness.
       • Isolation
       • other
   • Show
     • Compassion
     • Kindness
     • Support
     • Encouragement

2. Informed consent

   • Provide accurate and relevant information
     • Recieve consent from
       • Patient
         • Verbal Consent
         • Written consent
         • Implied consent
           • Positive body language
         • assumed consent
           • if patient is unconscious.
             • if it's in their best interest
       • Health Care Proxy
       • Must be voluntary
         • Not coerced
         • Patients Views considered
       • Or respect decision to decline
     • Make sure all aspects are understood
       • Provide translator
       • Risks
       • Outcome
       • Other options
       • Process
       • Reason
   • able to withdraw

3. Quality Care

   • Education for nurses
     • Research
       • Human Resource Ethics Comittee
     • Experiments
       • Approved by institutional ethics comittee
       • Falls within National Health and Medical Research Councils Statements
         • Ethical Conduct in research involving humans
     • Training
       • Regularily updated
       • Manual handling
     • Maintain/improve
       • Knowledge
       • Skills
       • Attitudes

4. Confidentiality

   • Patient chooses what information to share and with whom
     • Unless
       • Life of patient in danger
       • Mandatory reporting is required
         • Child abuse
   • Patient to be used for teaching or research
     • Steps taken to protect
       • Autonomy
       • Anonymity
       • Privacy
   • Patient information discussed
     • Profesionally
     • Privately
     • With appropriate people
     • Not as gossip
     • information not given without consent
       • directly
       • Indirectly
   • Records kept private
     • Paper
     • Electronic
   • The privacy act
     • in conjunction with
       • guidelines to national privacy principles
         • Both adhered to

5. Safety

   • Nurses
     • Right to Refuse
     • Follow guidelines
     • Personal Protective Wear
       • Gown
       • Gloves
       • Masks
     • Keep Correct Records
       • Report unsafe practices
         • misconduct
       • Charts
     • Access to Security
     • Hygiene
       • Hand Washing
     • Identify Risks
       • Monitor
       • Prevent
     • undertake tasks in scope of practice
     • report to authority
       • Limitations
       • Health problems that could affect practices
   • Patient
     • Not endangered by
       • Staff
         • Background checks
       • Each other
   • Environment
     • Sterile
     • Appropriate Signs
     • Safe use of resources