Code of Ethics for Nurses Provisions Overview
Key Points
- The Code of Ethics for Nurses gives a profession-wide ethical blueprint for nursing practice.
- Provisions link compassion, patient commitment, advocacy, accountability, and professional integrity.
- The Code includes duties to self, duties to patients, and duties to the profession and society.
- Social justice and human rights are explicit ethical commitments in nursing practice.
Pathophysiology
Without a shared ethical standard, nursing decisions become inconsistent across clinicians and settings, increasing risk of rights violations and unsafe care culture. The Code creates a stable ethical reference point that supports coherent decision-making and professional accountability.
Classification
- Provisions 1-4: Compassion, dignity, primary commitment to patients, rights protection, authority, and accountability.
- Provisions 5-6: Duties to self, integrity, competence, and ethical work environment.
- Provisions 7-9: Advancement through research and standards, collaboration for human rights, and social-justice integration in policy.
Nursing Assessment
NCLEX Focus
Prioritize which provision is most directly implicated when a scenario includes conflict between safety, rights, and professional duty.
- Assess whether patient dignity and autonomy are preserved in current plan.
- Assess potential conflicts of interest affecting patient-first commitment.
- Assess accountability boundaries for decisions, delegation, and outcomes.
- Assess ethical climate factors that may compromise quality and safety.
- Assess policy-level implications for equity and justice.
Nursing Interventions
- Use Code provisions explicitly when framing ethical concerns with teams.
- Protect rights, safety, and confidentiality in all care interactions.
- Maintain competence through continuing education and evidence use.
- Support an ethical work environment through respectful communication and escalation.
- Participate in policy and quality activities that advance social justice.
Provision-Action Mismatch
Ethical awareness without aligned action weakens patient protection and professional integrity.
Pharmacology
Code-guided medication practice emphasizes truthful counseling, rights protection, accountability for administration decisions, and immediate response to unsafe practice.
Clinical Judgment Application
Clinical Scenario
A nurse identifies unsafe behavior that could harm patients and is uncertain whether to report due to team pressure.
Recognize Cues: Patient-safety risk and ethical conflict are active. Analyze Cues: Provisions on rights protection, accountability, and ethical environment apply. Prioritize Hypotheses: Reporting through proper channels is ethically required. Generate Solutions: Use objective documentation and escalate according to policy. Take Action: Report concern and support immediate risk mitigation. Evaluate Outcomes: Safety risk is reduced and ethical accountability is preserved.
Related Concepts
- nursing-ethical-principles-and-virtues - Principle and virtue foundation beneath Code provisions.
- patient-and-nurse-bill-of-rights-in-care - Rights-focused framework aligned with Code duties.
- nursing-advocacy-in-professional-practice - Advocacy as operational expression of Code commitments.
Self-Check
- Which provision domains focus most on duties to self and ethical environment?
- How does the Code support action when unsafe practice is observed?
- Why is social justice considered a core professional nursing commitment?