Code of Ethics for Nurses

Running head: SYSTEM OF INQUIRY PAPER System of Inquiry Paper Wendell A. Garcia University of Phoenix March 18, 2008 American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics for Nurses Ethics is an integral part of the foundation of nursing. Nursing has a distinguished history of concern for the welfare of the sick, injured, and vulnerable and for social justice. This concern is embodied in the provision of nursing care to individuals and the community. Nursing encompasses the prevention of illness, the alleviation of suffering, and the protection, promotion, and restoration of health in the care of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Individuals who became nurses are expected not only to adhere to the ideals and moral norms of the profession, but also to embrace them as a part of what it means to be a nurse. The Code of Ethics for Nurses developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) makes explicit the primary goals, values, and obligations of the profession (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2001). What makes a code of ethics an important for nurses? Generally, a code of ethics serves and functions as a tool for professional self-definition. As nursing continues to strengthen its model of professionalism, the relationship between that model and a code of ethics must be seriously considered. The mere existence of a code provides a positive argument that a group self-identifies as “professional,” not just as occupational. In fact, the formulation of “a code of ethics itself is commonly taken to be one of the defining marks of a profession (Alexandra & Woodruff, 1990). Professionals recognize that they must embrace specific responsibilities and obligations to those they serve to legitimately call themselves professionals. A code, then, functions as a reminder of these duties to both the practitioner and the public. Nurses in today’s health care environment are faced with multiple ethical challenges which are related either directly or

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