Codes of Ethics

 

 

 

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Codes of Ethics

Healthcare Professionals Adhering to the Codes of Ethics

Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Potter Stewart once stated: “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.” A code of ethics is a command set of principles intended to instruct professionals to act honestly, which is beneficial to all stakeholders involved (Malach, 2020). The codes outline how nurses should behave ethically and decide when they encounter barriers preventing them from fulfilling their professional obligations. The codes can also support nurses in their practice and minimize their moral distress. They also provide a common set of rules or standards for all professionals to adhere to. It defines best practices for the profession. A code of ethics provides a basis to meet the profession’s compliance requirements and a legal standard for the profession (Maxwell, 2020). The code of ethics is restricted to general and vague wordings; because of this limitation, they cannot apply directly to all situations. It is also challenging to analyze thoroughly and predict the full range of moral problems that arise in a complex profession. This essay will explore two different codes of ethics for nurses and allied health professionals and look at the similarities and differences between the two codes of ethics.

Codes of Ethics for Nurses

A code of ethics guides an individual or group in making decisions regarding ethical issues. Nursing codes of ethics include beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, accountability, autonomy, fidelity, and veracity (Yulianti et al., 2021). Beneficence is doing good and not harming others, while nonmaleficence is preventing intentional harm, and the two ethical concepts relate directly to the patient. The American Nurses Association Code for Nurses has a specific charge to protect patients by specifying that nurses should report unsafe, illegal, or unethical practices by any person. Nurses are often faced with making decisions about extending life with technology, which might not be in the patient’s best interest. Justice is closely tied to the legal system, but the word refers to the obligation to be fair to everyone (Brisman & South, 2019). Fidelity is the concept of keeping a commitment. Although the word is more closely used to describe a marital relationship, fidelity is the concept of accountability. Privacy and confidentiality could be challenged under the concept of fidelity. If a nurse is aware of another impaired healthcare giver, the circumstances are private or confidential. The codes of ethics have been adopted for many professions in recent decades. In nursing, one of the most-trusted professions, the ethical codes have been published by nearly every recognized professional group worldwide.

Codes of Ethics for Physicians

The revised Code, regarded as the basis of ethical principles for physicians worldwide, defines physicians’ professional concern towards their patients, other physicians and health professionals, themselves, and society. The Code says that physicians must respect not only the dignity and the rights of patients but also explicitly mentions their autonomy (Subramani & Biller-Andorno, 2022). The physician must immediately and respectfully inform the patient of this demur and of the patient’s right to ask another qualified physician and provide adequate information to enable the patient to initiate such a consultation in a timely manner. The Code refers to environmental health, stating that physicians have to practice medicine in environmentally sustainable ways to minimize environmental health risks for the current and future generations (Nayna Schwerdtle et al., 2020). Isolated treatment is included for the first time. The Code says that when providing medical care slenderly, the physician must ensure that this communication is medically justifiable and that the approval of medical care is provided. The physician must also tell the patient about the benefits and limitations of medical care slenderly, obtain the patient’s consent, ensuring that patient confidentiality is upheld. Wherever medically appropriate, the physician must focus on providing patient care through direct d personal contact. Moreover, the Code declares that physicians must attend to their health, well-being, and abilities and seek appropriate care to practice safely.

Similarities between Code of Ethics for Nurses and Physicians

Codes of ethics for nurses and physicians may consist of similar characteristics. In both systems, nurses and doctors must advance their studies to ensure they have the relevant skills to attend to patients. Nurses’ cord of ethics is majorly for taking good care of the patients. In contrast, the physician code of ethics ensures that patients are attended to and treated using the best approaches possible (Suresh, 2018). In the case of a disaster, the code of ethics for doctors and nurses allows them to prioritize those patients that require emergency attention. As a result, this approach solves the dilemma of whom to attend to first. It would be essential for one to understand the similarities between the codes of ethics for nurses and physicians in order to know their responsibilities and their daily routine.

Differences between the Code of Ethics for Nurses and Physicians

Codes of ethics for nurses and physicians have similarities but, at the same time, a variety of differences. All physicians are required to be dedicated to their work. They should ensure they provide competent medical care concerning human rights and dignity. Physicians are needed to uphold high standards of professionalism.  In their line of duty, physicians must respect and protect the rights of the healthcare sector’s stakeholders and advance their knowledge to ensure that relevant information is available to the public, colleagues, and patients (Mouton Dorey et al., 2018). Apart from emergency cases, where the physician chooses whom to attend to, they are expected to provide appropriate patient care to every individual. Physicians are mandated to support access to medical care for all persons. The primary responsibility of any nurse is a commitment to their patients without considering their background. Nurses are expected to protect the health, safety and rights of patients. Every nurse is accountable for her nursing practice and must provide optimum patient care. Nurses are expected to advance their knowledge in health care to ensure that they have the relevant information needed by the patient and other colleagues in this field. Both codes of ethics of the two professions ensure that patient’s rights are protected and the patients are attended to without discrimination. Nurses and physicians need to understand the differences in the codes of ethics in their professions.

Conclusion

Codes of ethics are principles intended to instruct professionals to act honestly, which benefits all stakeholders involved and outlines how nurses should behave ethically and decide when they encounter barriers preventing them from fulfilling their professional obligations. They provide a basis to meet the profession’s compliance requirements and a legal standard for the profession and also provide a common set of rules or standards for all professionals to adhere to, but at the same time, they are restricted to general and vague wordings; because of this limitation, they cannot apply directly to all situations. Some of the codes of ethics in nursing include beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, accountability, autonomy, fidelity, and veracity, which direct the nurses on what is expected of them. The codes of ethics between nurses are similar in various ways, for example, in both systems, nurses and doctors must advance their studies to ensure they have the relevant skills to attend to patients. Despite the similarities, the codes of ethics between nurses and physicians also differ. It would be appropriate for healthcare providers to understand the codes of ethics available in their professions, their importance, and the limitations of the codes of ethics.

References

Malach, J. (2020). Ethical codes in adult education as subjects of comparative analysis. European journal for research on the education and learning of adults, 11(2), 199-217.

Maxwell, B. (2020). Codes of professional conduct and ethics education for future teachers. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 24(4), 323-347. https://doi.org/10.7202/1070690ar

Yulianti, E., Setiawan, M., Surachman, S., & Irawanto, D. W. (2021). The Islamic Ethical Leadership and Employees’ Ethical Behavior: The Moderating Role of Ethical Sensitivity. Journal of Economics, Business, & Accountancy Ventura, 23(3), 375-389.

Brisman, A., & South, N. (2019). Green criminology and environmental crimes and harms. Sociology Compass, 13(1), e12650. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12650

Subramani, S., & Biller-Andorno, N. (2022). Revisiting respect for persons: conceptual analysis and implications for clinical practice. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 25(3), 351-360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-022-10079-y

Nayna Schwerdtle, P., Horton, G., Kent, F., Walker, L., & McLean, M. (2020). Education for sustainable healthcare: a transdisciplinary approach to transversal environmental threats. Medical Teacher, 42(10), 1102-1106. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1795101

Suresh, S. (2018). Nursing research and statistics. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Mouton Dorey, C., Baumann, H., & Biller-Andorno, N. (2018). Patient data and patient rights: Swiss healthcare stakeholders’ ethical awareness regarding large patient data sets–a qualitative study. BMC medical ethics, 19(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-018-0261-x

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