Health Professional's Code of Conduct

Medical professionals work under a strict code of conduct.

Workers in the medical profession work under codes of conduct that focus their energies on the patients as the primary responsibility. Doctors, nurses and other health care employees accept these principles when they enter the field and work hard to follow them.

Identification

Health professionals are under obligation to put the patients first, regardless of economic status or physical condition. Each profession within the health care field has adopted its own code of conduct, from doctors and nurses who treat patients in hospitals to personal trainers who help guide people in their exercise programs. These codes of conduct are not laws, but are guidelines these workers impose on themselves.

Features

The medical professionals who treat sick patients are under an obligation to maintain the confidence of those patients and to keep all health-related information private. They also agree to work within the system to seek changes in the law that protect patient's rights. Health professionals' codes of conduct also require them to support other workers in their field to the best of their ability.

Considerations

Medical professionals commit to do all they can to improve the quality of available health care through participation in research and development. The health care worker is to be dedicated to long-term continuing education and to sharing knowledge with colleagues in the field.

References

• Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretative Statements
• American Medical Association: AMA Code of Medical Ethics