The ANMC Code of Ethics for Nurses
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council is a professional organization that provides guidelines, research, networking and governance for nurses and midwives in Australia. The council has boards from each state and territory of Australia and meets regularly to discuss issues in statutory nursing and midwife practice. It offers advice and guidance to governmental bodies in crafting regulations relating to the health profession. The ANMC has separate codes of ethics for nurses and for midwives.
Other People Are Reading
-
Quality Nursing Care for All People
-
Nurses must take responsibility for the quality of patient care. This means they are to be the best nurses they can be, as well as taking steps to report instances in which patient care is not up to the standards it should be. Nurses also have the right to refuse to participate in care that violates their moral or religious standards (conscientious objection). On a larger scale, nurses should engage in social advocacy that improves the quality of nursing care, and respect cultural practices that contribute to national health.
Respect for Self and Others
-
By respecting the patient, the nurse is able to give them active participation in their own care. This helps manage the power differential when the patient is weakened, frightened and confused and sees the nurse as someone in a position of power over them. At the same time, nurses must take care of their own health and acknowledge their physical and psychological limitations and strengths in order to provide the best care possible. The nurse must get along with her colleagues and not resort to bullying or malicious gossip, and must care for the community as a whole by getting involved in political life and acting for social justice.
-
Value Diversity
-
Australia has a long history of diversity, and it includes some vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Nurses must accept their own diverse background and try to be sensitive of patients' cultural heritage. If he is working in an area with a substantial diversity in population, the nurse should strive to understand the language better. Nurses should not discriminate against colleagues and should work to promote unfettered access to health care no matter the person's cultural or religious identity.
Access to Quality Health Care for All People
-
While not every service can be provided to every person, nurses must work to ensure people have access to the care they need. Nurses must take care of their own health, which includes staying up-to-date on professional practices. They should work to eliminate discrimination in dealing with patients and their families. In the media, nurses must help avoid stereotypes of certain kinds of patients or health issues.
Informed Decision Making
-
Patients--including children--have the right to participate in decisions regarding their care. A nurse's responsibility is to make sure the patient has all the tools he needs to make that decision, whether that's providing information or an interpreter if the patient does not speak English. If the patient's ability to make decisions on her own care is limited, the nurse must work with the patient's family or support network to come to the best decision possible in the interest of the patient.
Culture of Safety
-
Nurses understand that safety is everyone's responsibility. Patients who come in for treatment can be adversely affected by human error or other events, and nurses must work to minimize harm to the patient, while also openly disclosing any errors that are the nurse's fault through the proper channels. A nurse realizes that the disclosure of errors, whether hers or her colleagues', promotes more safety in the workplace.
Ethical Management of Information
-
Nurses follow the procedures for keeping personal information secure, insofar as the privacy does not interfere with care. All notes must be accurate and professional, with the realization that a careless comment in a patient's file can affect their care in the long term or promote stereotypes. No notation or information can be changed or removed from a patient's file; only new information can be added. Nurses respect the privacy of colleagues, unless their behavior could jeopardize patient health.
-
References
- Photo Credit nursing duties image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
