Nurses are the most honest and ethical professionals in America, according to Gallup (Reinhart, 2020). For the 18th year in a row, nurses are rated the highest for honesty and ethics among a list of professions. Currently, 85% of Americans say nurses’ honesty and ethical standards are “very high” or “high,” compared with 9% for car salespeople. Patients’ health, autonomy, and even life or death, are affected by nurses’ decisions and actions. The NAM (2020) vision with The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 continues to emphasize that the role of nursing in health care and the nexus between the actions of nurses and patient outcomes.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements Links to an external site. (2015) (the “Code”) is the cornerstone document of the nursing profession. It reflects the evolution of healthcare and considers the most current ethical challenges nurses face in practice. The Code upholds the best interests of patients, families, and communities.
References
Reinhart, R. J. (2020). Nurses continue to rate highest in honesty, ethics. https://news.gallup.com/poll/274673/nurses-continue-rate-highest-honesty-ethics.aspx
To prepare
• Review the Discussion Rubric for Week 2, provided in the Course Information area or accessible through the link below.
• Review the Writing Resources tab in the left-hand menu and review the Discussion Tips.
• Review the media “The Future of Nursing” located in the Learning Resources.
• Read the following articles, provided in this week’s Learning Resources:
o “The Essence of Nursing: It’s Time to Put Basic Nursing Care Back in the Spotlight” (Fitzpatrick, 2015)
o “Consensus Study Report HIGHLIGHTS: The Future of Nursing 2020–2030. Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity” (NAM, 2021)
• Reflect on how you might relate the information in the two articles to your own nursing experiences. For example, pick out important points from the articles and connect them to your own work.
