Written By: Darby Faubion BSN, RN Are you a nurse with a genuine desire to give the best care possible to patients and their families and to become a strong member of your nursing team? Maybe you are a nursing student eager to learn as much as possible to help you succeed in nursing. If so, the most important lesson you can learn is how to establish ethical nursing practices. There are several ways to demonstrate strong ethics, and knowing the main ethical principles of nursing is a great place to start. Perhaps you are wondering, "What are the 7 main ethical principles in nursing, and why they are important?” In this article, you will learn about ethical nursing principles and how they apply to you. As you continue reading, you will find an in-depth look at the 7 main ethical principles in nursing, why they’re important, and examples of how they are applied in the four main areas of nursing. RECOMMENDED ONLINE MSN PROGRAMS An ethical principle refers to the general judgments serving as justification for a person's behavior or actions. Ethical principles in nursing are the foundation upon which nursing actions are based. They describe what is expected of nurses in terms of right and wrong, good and bad, and correct and incorrect. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics is the source of ethical principles in nursing. The Code of Ethics was established as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in ways consistent with the ethical obligations of the profession, promoting quality patient care. Ethical principles in nursing provide a framework for assessing the behavior of nurses in practice. 1. Using ethical principles as the foundation of practice assists nurses in making good judgment calls. 2. Ethical principles in nursing guide nurses in providing high-quality care within the laws that govern nursing practices. 3. Nurses who work within the guidelines of ethical principles support the emotional, physical, and mental health of each patient, acting with their best interest in mind. 4. Applying principles of ethics in nursing is beneficial to developing strong nurse-patient and interdisciplinary relationships, which is essential for collaboration and quality patient care. 5. Patients cared for by nurses with solid ethical standards are typically more compliant than those whose nurses disregard ethical principles. When patients are compliant with prescribed health and nursing care plans, they experience improved health outcomes. 6. Ethical nursing practices help reduce risks to patient and nursing safety. Because the ethical principles of nursing focus on acceptable behaviors and promoting the welfare of others, nurses who demonstrate these behaviors are instrumental in reducing patient and staff safety risks. 7. Healthcare organizations that have nurses who exercise ethical nursing principles typically have higher patient satisfaction scores, higher employee satisfaction, and lower employee turnover rates. Sources vary regarding the actual number of ethical principles in nursing. Any behavior that is honorable and professional, upon which a set of rules is established, may be considered an ethical principle. For the purposes of this article, we will discuss the following seven main ethical principles all nurses should demonstrate:1. Accountability 2. Justice 3. Nonmaleficence 4. Autonomy 5. Beneficence 6. Fidelity 7. Veracity Perhaps the most common conflict regarding ethical principles in nursing is the one that arises between the patient’s right to autonomy versus the nurse’s responsibility to practice under the principle of beneficence. Autonomy is the right of competent adults to make decisions about their medical care based on informed consent. The nurse must find a way to balance autonomy and beneficence by facilitating open communication, educating the patient, and finding ways to manage care that satisfies the patient and goes along with standards of ethical practices. There are seven primary ethical principles of nursing: accountability, justice, nonmaleficence, autonomy, beneficence, fidelity, and veracity. The following is detailed information about the seven ethical principles in nursing, why they are important, and examples of ways to apply them in the four main areas of nursing: clinical practice, nursing leadership, nursing education, and nursing research.
Darby Faubion BSN, RN Darby Faubion is a nurse and Allied Health educator with over twenty years of experience. She has assisted in developing curriculum for nursing programs and has instructed students at both community college and university levels. Because of her love of nursing education, Darby became a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach and assists nursing graduates across the United States who are preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). |