ICN launches the revised code of ethics for nurses

Aboriginal Nurse, The,  Dec 2000  

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GENEVA, Switzerland, 3 July, 2000 - Cloning, human genetic research, euthanasia, informed consent and privacy are issues addressed by the newly revised Code of Ethics for Nurses [pdf file], just released by the International Council of Nurses (ICN).The Code, a guide for action based on social values and needs, has served as the standard for nurses worldwide since it was first adopted in 1953. The new version, revised for the first time in 27 years, responds to the realities of nursing and health care in a changing society.

"As new technologies emerge, individuals and society face increasingly complex ethical challenges," said ICN Nurse Consultant Tesfamicael Ghebrehiwet RN, PhD, who coordinated the review and revision of the Code. "Nurses and other health professionals are at the cutting edge of these debates.The Code makes it clear that inherent in nursing is respect for human rights, including the right to life, to dignity and to be treated with respect.The ICN Code of Ethics guides nurses in everyday choices and it supports their refusal to participate in activities that conflict with caring and healing."

Nurses in Swaziland have used the ICN Code as a basis for refusing to comply with the Ministry of Health's mandate that they carry guns to protect themselves. Nurses in other countries have cited the Code as justification for not participating in torture, assisting with carrying out the death penalty and other activities that violate human rights.

The ICN Code of Ethics also is in demand outside the profession of nursing. For example, it is cited by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and the International Rehabilitation Council against Torture.

The Code reaffirms that the nurse has four fundamental responsibilities: to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering.The nurse's primary professional responsibility is to people requiring nursing care.

To review the Code for Ethics, ICN convened an international advisory panel of nurse and non-nurse experts in the field of ethics from nine different countries representing every region of the world. The panel offered expertise in regulation, academics, research, clinical practice and philosophy. Each of ICN's 122 national nurses' associations were also invited to participate in revising the Code.The ICN Board of Directors and its Council of National Representatives approved the revised Code of Ethics.

For further information, visit the ICN Website http://www.icn.ch/

Copyright Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada Dec 2000
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