ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF PROFESSIONAL DUTY IN NURSING

Abstract

Over time, nursing practice has emerged as an independent profession based on theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and scientific justification. The professional duty of medical specialists corresponds to the rights of the patient. To be professionally responsible means to make decisions about what is good or bad, right or wrong, taking into account the final result of the actions - the greatest benefit to the patient. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical aspects of professional duty in the nursing profession by analyzing international and national codes of ethics. METHODS: In order to achieve this goal, we have used general and private science methods and approaches, including documentary method, analysis and synthesis, comparative method. RESULTS: Various nursing codes of ethics were reviewed- The Nightingale Pledge, The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses, The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, The Code of Professional ethics for Nurses, Midwives and Associated Medical Specialists in the Republic of Bulgaria, Guidance for good medical practice. The codes were analyzed in a comparative aspect in terms of volume, content, and practical orientation. CONCLUSION: Codes of ethics are meaningless without professionals who are motivated to act morally in every situation containing ethical issue. Nursing students must understand their role as responsible future professionals and be familiar with the content of the Ethical code and the Guidance of good medical practice. The implementation of the ethical norms is controlled by specially formed bodies of the professional organization.

Keywords

• ethical codes
• guidance of good medical practice
• virtues
• professional duty
• nurse
• nursing student