Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
command respect at all times. Nursing encompasses the promotion and restoration of health,
the prevention of illness, and the alleviation of suffering. The statements of the Code and their
interpretation provide guidance for conduct and relationships in carrying out nursing respon-
sibilities consistent with the ethical obligations of the profession and quality in nursing care.
The nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client,
unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of
health problems.
The nurse safeguards the client's right to privacy by judiciously protecting information of a
confidential nature.
The nurse acts to safeguard the client and the public when health care and safety are affected
by the incompetent, unethical, or illegal practice of any person.
The nurse assumes responsibility and accountability for individual nursing judgments and
actions.
The nurse maintains competence in nursing.
The nurse exercises informed judgment and uses individual competence and qualifications
as criteria in seeking consultation, accepting responsibilities, and delegating nursing activities
to others.
The nurse participates in activities that contribute to the ongoing development of the
profession's body of knowledge.
The nurse participates in the profession's efforts to implement and improve standards of nursing.
The nurse participates in the profession's efforts to establish and maintain conditions of
employment conducive to high-quality nursing care.
The nurse participates in the profession's effort to protect the public from misinformation and
misrepresentation and to maintain the integrity of nursing.
The nurse collaborates with members of the health professions and other citizens in promoting
community and national efforts to meet the health needs of the public.
These codes take as their guiding principle the concepts of service to humankind and
respect for human life. When reading these codes of conduct, it is difficult to imagine that
anyone could improve on them as summary statements of the primary goals of individuals
responsible for the care of patients. However, some believe that such codes fail to provide
answers to many of the difficult moral dilemmas confronting health professionals today.
For example, in many situations, all the fundamental responsibilities of the nurse cannot
be met at the same time. When a patient suffering from a massive insult to the brain is kept
alive by artificial means and this equipment is needed elsewhere, it is not clear from these
guidelines how “nursing competence is to be maintained to conserve life and promote
health.” Although it may be argued that the decision to treat or not to treat is a medical
and not a nursing decision, both professions are so intimately involved in the care of
patients that they are both concerned with the ultimate implications of any such decision.
For biomedical engineers, an increased awareness of the ethical significance of their
professional activities has also resulted in the development of codes of professional ethics.
Typically consisting of a short list of general rules, these codes express both the minimal
standards to which all members of a profession are expected to conform and the ideals
for which all members are expected to strive. Such codes provide a practical guide for the
ethical conduct of the profession's practitioners. Consider, for example, the code of ethics
endorsed by the American College of Clinical Engineers:
