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Nursing is a field that requires a true understanding about ethics. Ethics by definition is the

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Nursing is a field that requires a true understanding about ethics. Ethics by definition is the study or use of moral belief. Morality is the the act of actually following these beliefs. So to follow the code of ethics is to be moral. Each nurse is expected to follow the standards set out by the code of ethics from the American Nurse Association (ANA) and from his or her place of employment in order to practice morally. The ANA's code of ethics highlights that a nurse should care for all patients equally regardless of race, sex, creed, sexual orientation, medical diagnosis or source of payment (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle & Cheever, 2010). The nurse must be committed to the care and protection of the patient and is responsible for the …show more content…

Also, if a nurse encounters a difficult patient whether it is because they interfere with them on a personal level (the patient may have a condition that a family member of theirs had) or simply because of personality clashes, the nurse is not able to refuse that patient assignment. Another example is if the family of the patient disagrees with their healthcare decisions of the patient. The wishes of the patient are respected as long as they are alert and oriented or clearly state their wishes in an advanced directive. Only when there is written confirmation that the patient is unable to make informed decisions is the family consulted (L. Stewart, personal communication, January 24, 2014). The code of ethics for this facility is not necessarily in perfect congruence with that of the ANA. Unlike the ANA, FHD highlights the delivery of financially responsible care. Contrastingly, the ANA actually states that focusing on economic saving can, “pose new possibilities of conflict between economic self-interest and professional integrity” (American Nurses Association, 2001). It is also interesting that the ANA code asserts that a nurse should not remain employed by the facility, or should not follow facility policy if it violates patient rights or any principle of the ANA code of ethics. Although this is not addressed in FHD's code of ethics, obviously this facility would not endorse intentionally disobeying policy just because a

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