This paper discusses nursing code of ethics by focusing on the American Nursing Association (ANA). This code provides a basis on how nurses should conduct themselves by making the right decisions regarding ethical issues. The ANA provides a foundation that guides nurses on how to perform their basic duties and meet societal needs ( American Nurses Association, 2001). Under the American Nursing Association, professional nursing is classified into code of ethics, standard of practice and social policy statement. According to the ANA, nurses have an obligation to protect and promote health while advocating for alleviating illnesses and suffering.
The aim of forming the American Nurses Association was to come up with a code of ethics after nurses functioned without a formalized code. The first suggestion of the code came in 1926 when nurses were required to create an effective relationship between nurses and patients. The Association developed its first formal code in 1950 to provide guidance to nurses on how to manage ethical problems arising in the profession ( American Nurses Association, 2001) . As such, this code helped physicians deal with the tensions that arise when facing tough decisions in gray territories of the practice. Revisions started in 1968 to include significant changes and interpretations that helped nurses’ function effectively.
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A major revision of the code took place in 2001 that involved condensing provisions and interpretive statements ( Epstein & Turner, 2015) . This made the code of ethics a dynamic guide for the nursing profession. The recent modification was made in 2015 in responding to the modern needs of healthcare. The recent revisions entailed expanding interpretations while maintaining the concepts, to include new focuses on health policy, leadership, social and global health. This code of ethics remains a necessary resource for nurse practitioners that guides them in providing patient care. The revised code reaffirms the belief that nursing is one of the best professionals despite being a complex field ( Epstein & Turner, 2015) .
The ANA is a professional code of ethics that is at the practical level since the behavior can be achieved through diligent effort. The stakeholders in this code of ethics include physicians, nursing educators, individual nurses, patients, the government, researchers and the society in general. This code benefits both the profession and stakeholders in several ways to facilitate their operations in the field ( Fowler, 2008) . The goal of ANA is to provide a unified focus of ethical, professional and competent care to all patients. It obliges nurses to provide equal care to all patients while respecting professional boundaries such as privacy and confidentiality.
Under this code, there are several values, duties, and responsibilities required of nurses in their area of work. The code requires nurses to practice their profession with respect, love, and compassion for all patients. The ANA Code of ethics helps professional nursing by providing a framework through which nurses can make ethical judgments during their daily practices ( Fowler, 2008). It guides them on the appropriate conduct within their profession including how to interact with each other. In essence, the ANA code helps to foster the best standards of nursing as one way of improving healthcare for all.
In essence, this code benefits stakeholders by ensuring the staff and patients are respected and treated with dignity. Nurses encounter ethical issues in their field that can impact all stakeholders. The code ensures that there is a better relationship between nurses and stakeholders who encounters ethical problems ( Fowler, 2008) . For example, it provides guidelines on how to protect patients from harm and provide ethically appropriate interventions. Professional nursing practices involve a duty towards safety and quality of care provision using evidence-based practices. There is a specific obligation in the ANA that requires nurses to protect patients through beneficence and nonmaleficence.
References
American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements . Nursesbooks. org.
Epstein, B., & Turner, M. (2015). The nursing code of ethics: Its value, its history. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 20 (2), 1-10.
Fowler, M. D. M. (2008). Guide to the code of ethics for nurses: Interpretation and application . Nursesbooks. org.
