ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses

Overview

• First Adopted: 1953 by the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
• Latest Revision: 2021.
• Purpose: A framework outlining ethical values, responsibilities, and accountabilities of nurses, guiding ethical nursing practice.
• Not a Code of Conduct: Provides ethical guidance but is not a regulatory or legal code.

Purpose of the Code

• Defines and guides ethical nursing practice.
• Serves as a framework for decision-making to meet professional standards.
• Applicable to all settings, roles, and domains of nursing practice.

Preamble

• Recognizes four fundamental nursing responsibilities:
  • Promote health
  • Prevent illness
  • Restore health
  • Alleviate suffering
• Emphasizes respect for human rights and is unrestricted by age, color, culture, etc.

Elements of the ICN Code

1. Nurses and Patients or Other People Requiring Care or Services

   • Promote human rights, dignity, and respect.
   • Ensure privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent.
   • Advocate for equity and social justice.

2. Nurses and Practice

   • Maintain competence and professional development.
   • Advocate for safety and ethical practices.
   • Balance professional responsibilities with personal well-being.

3. Nurses and the Profession

   • Lead in establishing evidence-informed practices.
   • Promote ethical organizational environments.
   • Engage in research that improves health outcomes.

4. Nurses and Global Health

   • Support universal access to health care.
   • Advocate for social determinants of health and policies addressing them.
   • Promote environmental sustainability and justice.

Application of the Code

• Ethical duties apply to all nursing roles: clinicians, educators, researchers, managers, policymakers.
• Includes action guides for applying ethical standards.
• Encourages reflection, education, collaboration, and discussion among nurses.

Professional Values (As per ICN Code)

• Patient-Focused Values: Privacy, advocacy, competence, compassion, integrity.
• Professional Values: Collaboration, leadership, expertise, accountability.
• Global Health Values: Equity, justice, solidarity, environmental stewardship.

Glossary of Terms

• Advocate: Supporting others to speak for themselves or speaking on their behalf.
• Competence: Necessary skills and knowledge for safe, ethical practice.
• Confidentiality: Duty to protect patient information.
• Ethics: Philosophical branch guiding moral decisions in healthcare.

Suggestions for Use

• Discuss and apply the Code in practice, education, and policy development.
• Encourage open dialogue and collaboration.
• Promote the Code within nursing education and professional development.

Dissemination

• Spread awareness of the Code in schools, workplaces, and the public.
• Collaborate with national nursing associations to adopt and translate the Code.

References

• References include key documents from WHO, United Nations, and other relevant organizations tackling ethics, human rights, and nursing practices.