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⚠️ DISCLAIMER ⚠️ Flashcards are NOT based on a formal lecture, so content may differ from the exam. Primary Resource: The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses (2021)
International Council of Nurses (ICN)
Federation of over 130 national nurses associations, representing more than 20 million nurses worldwide
Mission is to represent nursing globally, advance the profession, promote nurses' well-being, and advocate for health in all policies. The organization focuses on ensuring quality nursing care for all, inuencing health policies worldwide, and fostering the advancement of nursing knowledge.
To promote health
To prevent illness
To restore health
To alleviate suffering
According to the ICN, what are the 4 Fundamental Responsibilities of nurses?
Nurses & People
Nurses & Practice
Nurses & the Profession
Nurses & Global Health
4 Elements of the Code
1.1 Nurses’ primary professional responsibility is to people requiring nursing care and services now or in the future, whether individuals, families, communities or populations (hereinafter referred to as either ‘patients’ or ‘people requiring care’).
1.2 Nurses promote an environment in which the human rights, values, customs, religious and spiritual beliefs of the individual, families and communities are acknowledged and respected by everyone. Nurses’ rights are included under human rights and should be upheld and protected.
1.3 Nurses ensure that the individual and family receive understandable, accurate, sufficient and timely information in a manner appropriate to the patient’s culture, linguistic, cognitive and physical needs, and psychological state on which to base consent for care and related treatment.
1.4 Nurses hold in confidence personal information and respect the privacy, confidentiality and interests of patients in the lawful collection, use, access, transmission, storage and disclosure of personal information.
1.5 Nurses respect the privacy and confidentiality of colleagues and people requiring care and uphold the integrity of the nursing profession in person and in all media, including social media.
1.6 Nurses share with society the responsibility for initiating and supporting action to meet the health and social needs of all people.
1.7 Nurses advocate for equity and social justice in resource allocation, access to health care and other social and economic services.
1.8 Nurses demonstrate professional values such as respect, justice, responsiveness, caring, compassion, empathy, trustworthiness and integrity. They support and respect the dignity and universal rights of all people, including patients, colleagues and families.
1.9 Nurses facilitate a culture of safety in health care environments, recognising and addressing threats to people and safe care in health practices, services and settings.
1.10 Nurses provide evidence-informed, person-centred care, recognising and using the values and principles of primary health care and health promotion across the lifespan.
1.11 Nurses ensure that the use of technology and scientific advances are compatible with the safety, dignity and rights of people. In the case of artificial intelligence or devices, such as care robots or drones, nurses ensure that care remains person-centred and that such devices support and do not replace human relationships.
Nurses & People
2.1 Nurses carry personal responsibility and accountability for ethical nursing practice, and for maintaining competence by engaging in continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
2.2 Nurses maintain fitness to practice so as not to compromise their ability to provide quality, safe care.
2.3 Nurses practise within the limits of their individual competence and regulated or authorised scope of practice and use professional judgement when accepting and delegating responsibility.
2.4 Nurses value their own dignity, well-being and health. To achieve this requires positive practice environments, characterised by professional recognition, education, reflection, support structures, adequate resourcing, sound management practices and occupational health and safety.
2.5 Nurses maintain standards of personal conduct at all times. They reflect well on the profession and enhance its image and public confidence. In their professional role, nurses recognise and maintain personal relationship boundaries.
2.6 Nurses share their knowledge and expertise and provide feedback, mentoring and supporting the professional development of student nurses, novice nurses, colleagues and other health care providers.
2.7 Nurses are patient advocates, and they maintain a practice culture that promotes ethical behaviour and open dialogue.
2.8 Nurses may conscientiously object to participating in particular procedures or nursing or health-related research but must facilitate respectful and timely action to ensure that people receive care appropriate to their individual needs.
2.9 Nurses maintain a person’s right to give and withdraw consent to access their personal, health and genetic information. They protect the use, privacy and confidentiality of genetic information and human genome technologies.
2.10 Nurses take appropriate actions to safeguard individuals, families, communities and populations when their health is endangered by a co-worker, any other person, policy, practice or misuse of technology.
2.11 Nurses are active participants in the promotion of patient safety. They promote ethical conduct when errors or near misses occur, speak up when patient safety is threatened, advocate for transparency, and work with others to reduce the potential of errors.
2.12 Nurses are accountable for data integrity to support and facilitate ethical standards of care.
Nurses & Practice
3.1 Nurses assume the major leadership role in determining and implementing evidence-informed, acceptable standards of clinical nursing practice, management, research and education.
3.2 Nurses and nursing scholars are active in expanding research-based, current professional knowledge that supports evidence-informed practice.
3.3 Nurses are active in developing and sustaining a core of professional values
3.4 Nurses, through their professional organisations, participate in creating a positive and constructive practice environment where practice encompasses clinical care, education, research, management and leadership. This includes environments which facilitate a nurse’s ability to practice to their optimal scope of practice and to deliver safe, effective and timely health care, in working conditions which are safe as well as socially and economically equitable for nurses.
3.5 Nurses contribute to positive and ethical organisational environments and challenge unethical practices and settings. Nurses collaborate with nursing colleagues, other (health) disciplines and relevant communities to engage in the ethical creation, conduct and dissemination of peer reviewed and ethically responsible research and practice development as they relate to patient care, nursing and health.
3.6 Nurses engage in the creation, dissemination and application of research that improves outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
3.7 Nurses prepare for and respond to emergencies, disasters, conflicts, epidemics, pandemics, social crises and conditions of scarce resources. The safety of those who receive care and services is a responsibility shared by individual nurses and the leaders of health systems and organisations. This involves assessing risks and developing, implementing and resourcing plans to mitigate these.
Nurses & the Profession
4.1 Nurses value health care as a human right, affirming the right to universal access to health care for all.
4.2 Nurses uphold the dignity, freedom and worth of all human beings and oppose all forms of exploitation, such as human trafficking and child labour.
4.3 Nurses lead or contribute to sound health policy development.
4.4 Nurses contribute to population health and work towards the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (UN n.d.)
4.5 Nurses recognise the significance of the social determinants of health. They contribute to, and advocate for, policies and programmes that address them.
4.6 Nurses collaborate and practise to preserve, sustain and protect the natural environment and are aware of the health consequences of environmental degradation, e.g. climate change. They advocate for initiatives that reduce environmentally harmful practices to promote health and well-being.
4.7 Nurses collaborate with other health and social care professions and the public to uphold principles of justice by promoting responsibility in human rights, equity and fairness and by promoting the public good and a healthy planet.
4.8 Nurses collaborate across countries to develop and maintain global health and to ensure policies and principles for this.
Nurses & Global Health
