Ethics in the American Nurses Association
Broadly understood, ethics consist of principles, which direct the conduct of individuals, groups or professions (Wilkins 2007). Nurses as professionals make independent decisions on the care of patients. But they are still answerable to their profession as a whole as regards these independent decisions. A nurse's conduct has been under scrutiny from the start. The famous Florence Nightingale pledge in 1893 included the vow to "abstain from anything deleterious and mischievous... or harmful drug." The profession evolved into a very complex arena in the last century. Nurses now must confront life-and-death decisions and in short periods, even on an hourly basis. Medical advancements in new technology have the equal potential of benefit and harm. Today's nurse makes her own decisions, that is, without the influence of her employer. But how she does is under the control of a Code of Ethics to which she swears (Wilkins). In general, nurses are employed by a hospital, clinic or some private entity (Wilkins 2007). Yet seemingly "independent" decisions made on patient care not really totally independent. Each decision, especially a critical or end-of-life decision, creates a ripple effect, which extends to anyone in the hea
Its new structure provides both core services and policy representation of the ANA. The House of Delegates is the policy-making body of the American Nurses Association (Black 2003). It is committed to helping, protecting and representing RNs in a number of ways. In this end-of-life case, ANA took a characteristic stand, which upheld the right of the patient or surrogates, if the patient is incapacitated, to decide whether to accept or continue treatment. The new structure, which introduces the two new entities, is of particular advantage to State or local organizations, which do not yet have union representation (Black 2003). The ANA is the only full-service professional organization, working for the interests of their 2. Discontent is not confined to Washington DC. In time, this overall concern was embodied in the Code, which lists the provisions of nursing care to individuals and the community. This industry has reportedly been taking advantage of the situation of recovering patients in acute care hospitals. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of professional nurses to know changes made to the Code and to incorporate these into their daily practice (Wilkins). The SEIU and AFL-CIO are union organizations, which promote fair labor laws, better salaries and more acceptable working conditions for their members. Yet in recent years, nurses have, in act, been more visible and their voices more audible. They can produce advance directives, which are controlled by State law. She contributes her part in establishing and maintaining high-quality employment conditions in nursing care. The Patient Self-Determination act of 1990, a federal law, requires health care facilities to inform patients about these directives or ask patients about them.
Common topics in this essay:
Code Ethics,
House Delegates,
Ethics Code,
SEIU AFL-CIO,
Arizona Nurse,
Carolina Nurse,
Congress President,
Care Industry,
Washington DC,
Florence Nightingale,
code ethics,
health care,
registered nurses,
house delegates,
nurses association,
nursing profession,
ana house delegates,
collective bargaining,
american nurses,
patient care,
south carolina,
south carolina nurse,
american nurses association,
care registered nurses,
ana's code ethics,
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Acceptance Essays
