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Code of Ethics for Nurses - Provisions
Approved as of June 30, 2001
2001 Approved Provisions2001 Approved ProvisionsView The Code OnlineView The Code OnlineBuy The Code OnlineBuy The Code Online
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The ANA House of Delegates approved these nine provisions of the new Code of Ethics for Nurses at its June 30, 2001 meeting in Washington, DC. In July, 2001, the Congress of Nursing Practice and Economics voted to accept the new language of the interpretive statements resulting in a fully approved revised Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements.

  1. The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.

  2. The nurse's primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.

  3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.

  4. The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse's obligation to provide optimum patient care.

  5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.

  6. The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving healthcare environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.

  7. The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.

  8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national, and international efforts to meet health needs.

  9. The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy.

American Nurses Association, Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Publishing, 2001