THE ICN
CODE OF ETHICS
FOR NURSES
International Council of Nurses
Revised 2012
THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR NURSES
An international code of ethics for nurses was first
adopted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN)
in 1953. It has been revised and reaffirmed at various
times since, most recently with this review and
revision completed in 2012.
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PREAMBLE
Nurses have four fundamental responsibilities: to promote
health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate
suffering. The need for nursing is universal.
Inherent in nursing is a respect for human rights, including
cultural rights, the right to life and choice, to dignity and to
be treated with respect. Nursing care is respectful of and
unrestricted by considerations of age, colour, creed, culture,
disability or illness, gender, sexual orientation, nationality,
politics, race or social status.
Nurses render health services to the individual, the family and
the community and coordinate their services with those of
related groups.
All rights, including translation into other languages, reserved. This work may
be reprinted and redistributed, in whole or in part, without alteration and without
prior written permission, provided the source is indicated.
Copyright © 2012 by ICN – International Council of Nurses,
3, place Jean-Marteau, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
ISBN: 978-92-95094-95-6
THE ICN CODE
The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses has four principal
elements that outline the standards of ethical conduct.
ELEMENTS OF THE CODE
1. Nurses and people
The nurse’s primary professional responsibility is to people
requiring nursing care.
In providing care, the nurse promotes an environment in which
the human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of the
individual, family and community are respected.
The nurse ensures that the individual receives accurate,
sufficient and timely information in a culturally appropriate
manner on which to base consent for care and related
treatment.
The nurse holds in confidence personal information and uses
judgement in sharing this information.
The nurse shares with society the responsibility for initiating
and supporting action to meet the health and social needs of
the public, in particular those of vulnerable populations.
The nurse advocates for equity and social justice in resource
allocation, access to health care and other social and
economic services.
The nurse demonstrates professional values such as
respectfulness, responsiveness, compassion, trustworthiness
and integrity.
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2. Nurses and practice
The nurse carries personal responsibility and accountability
for nursing practice, and for maintaining competence by continual
learning.
The nurse maintains a standard of personal health such that the
ability to provide care is not compromised.
The nurse uses judgement regarding individual competence when
accepting and delegating responsibility.
The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct
which reflect well on the profession and enhance its image and
public confidence.
The nurse, in providing care, ensures that use of technology and
scientific advances are compatible with the safety, dignity and
rights of people.
The nurse strives to foster and maintain a practice culture
promoting ethical behaviour and open dialogue.
3. Nurses and the profession
The nurse assumes the major role in determining and
implementing acceptable standards of clinical nursing practice,
management, research and education.
The nurse is active in developing a core of research-based
professional knowledge that supports evidence-based practice.
The nurse is active in developing and sustaining a core of
professional values.
The nurse, acting through the professional organisation,
participates in creating a positive practice environment and
maintaining safe, equitable social and economic working
conditions in nursing.
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The nurse practices to sustain and protect the natural
environment and is aware of its consequences on health.
The nurse contributes to an ethical organisational environment
and challenges unethical practices and settings.
4. Nurses and co-workers
The nurse sustains a collaborative and respectful relationship
with co-workers in nursing and other fields.
The nurse takes appropriate action to safeguard individuals,
families and communities when their health is endangered
by a co-worker or any other person.
The nurse takes appropriate action to support and guide
co-workers to advance ethical conduct.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USE
of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses is a guide for action based
on social values and needs. It will have meaning only as a
living document if applied to the realities of nursing and
health care in a changing society.
To achieve its purpose the Code must be understood,
internalised and used by nurses in all aspects of their work.
It must be available to students and nurses throughout their
study and work lives.
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APPLYING THE ELEMENTS
of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
The four elements of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses:
nurses and people, nurses and practice, nurses and the
profession, and nurses and co-workers, give a framework for
the standards of conduct. The following chart will assist
nurses to translate the standards into action.
Nurses and nursing students can therefore:
l Study the standards under each element of the Code.
l Reflect on what each standard means to you. Think about
how you can apply ethics in your nursing domain: practice,
education, research or management.
l Discuss the Code with co-workers and others.
l Use a specific example from experience to identify ethical
dilemmas and standards of conduct as outlined in the Code.
Identify how you would resolve the dilemmas.
l Work in groups to clarify ethical decision making and reach
a consensus on standards of ethical conduct.
l Collaborate with your National Nurses Association,
co-workers, and others in the continuous application of
ethical standards in nursing practice, education,
management and research.
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Element of the Code # 1:
NURSES AND PEOPLE
Practitioners and
Managers
Educators and
Researchers
National Nurses
Associations
Provide care that
respects human rights
and is sensitive to the
values, customs and
beliefs of people.
In curriculum include
references to human
rights, equity, justice,
solidarity as the basis
for access to care.
Develop position
statements and
guidelines that support
human rights and
ethical standards.
Provide continuing
education in ethical
issues.
Provide teaching and
learning opportunities
for ethical issues and
decision making.
Lobby for involvement
of nurses in ethics
committees.
Provide sufficient
information to permit
informed consent to
nursing and/or medical
care, and the right to
choose or refuse
treatment.
Provide teaching/
learning opportunities
related to informed
consent, privacy
and confidentiality,
beneficence and
maleficence.
Provide guidelines,
position statements,
relevant documentation
and continuing
education related to
informed consent
to nursing and medical
care.
Use recording and
information management
systems that
ensure confidentiality.
Introduce into
curriculum concepts of
professional values.
Incorporate issues of
confidentiality and
privacy into a national
code of ethics for
nurses.
Develop and monitor
environmental safety
in the workplace.
Sensitise students to
the importance of
social action in current
concerns.
Advocate for safe and
healthy environment.
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Element of the Code # 2:
NURSES AND PRACTICE
Practitioners and
Managers
Educators and
Researchers
National Nurses
Associations
Establish standards of
care and a work setting
that promotes quality
care.
Provide teaching/
learning opportunities
that foster life long
learning and competence
for practice.
Provide access to
continuing education,
through journals,
conferences, distance
education, etc.
Establish systems for
professional appraisal,
continuing education
and systematic renewal
of licensure to practice.
Conduct and disseminate
research that shows
links between continual
learning and competence
to practice.
Lobby to ensure
continuing education
opportunities and
quality care standards.
Monitor and promote
the personal health of
nursing staff in relation
to their competence
for practice.
Promote the importance
of personal health and
illustrate its relation to
other values.
Promote healthy
lifestyles for nursing
professionals. Lobby for
healthy workplaces and
services for nurses.
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Element of the Code # 3:
NURSES AND THE PROFESSION
Practitioners and
Managers
Educators and
Researchers
National Nurses
Associations
Set standards for
nursing practice,
research, education
and management.
Provide teaching/
learning opportunities
in setting standards
for nursing practice,
research, education
and management.
Collaborate with others
to set standards for
nursing education,
practice, research and
management.
Foster workplace
support of the conduct,
dissemination and
utilisation of research
related to nursing and
health.
Conduct, disseminate
and utilise research to
advance the nursing
profession.
Develop position
statements, guidelines
and standards related
to nursing research.
Promote participation
in national nurses’
associations so as to
create favourable
socioeconomic
conditions for nurses.
Sensitise learners to
the importance of
professional nursing
associations.
Lobby for fair social
and economic working
conditions in nursing.
Develop position
statements and
guidelines in workplace
issues.
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Element of the Code # 4:
NURSES AND CO-WORKERS
Practitioners and
Managers
Educators and
Researchers
National Nurses
Associations
Create awareness of
specific and overlapping
functions and the
potential for
interdisciplinary
tensions and create
strategies for conflict
management.
Develop understanding
of the roles of other
workers.
Stimulate co-operation
with other related
disciplines.
Develop workplace
systems that support
common professional
ethical values and
behaviour.
Communicate nursing
ethics to other
professions.
Develop awareness of
ethical issues of other
professions.
Develop mechanisms
to safeguard the
individual, family or
community when their
care is endangered by
health care personnel.
Instil in learners the
need to safeguard the
individual, family or
community when care
is endangered by health
care personnel.
Provide guidelines,
position statements and
discussion fora related
to safeguarding people
when their care is
endangered by health
care personnel.
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DISSEMINATION
of the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
To be effective the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses must be familiar to
nurses. We encourage you to help with its dissemination to schools of
nursing, practising nurses, the nursing press and other mass media.
The Code should also be disseminated to other health professions, the
general public, consumer and policy-making groups, human rights
organisations and employers of nurses.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED
in the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
Co-worker
Other nurses and other health and non-health related workers and
professionals.
Collaborative relationship
A professional relationship based on collegial and reciprocal actions
and behaviour that aims to achieve certain jointly agreed goals.
Family
A social unit composed of members connected through blood,
kinship, emotional or legal relationships.
Nurse shares with society
A nurse, as a health professional and a citizen, initiates and supports
appropriate action to meet the health and social needs of the
public.
Personal information
Information obtained during professional contact that is private to
an individual or family, and which, when disclosed, may violate the
right to privacy, cause inconvenience, embarrassment, or harm to
the individual or family.
Personal health
Mental, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing of the nurse.
Related groups
Other nurses, health care workers or other professionals providing
service to an individual, family or community and working toward
desired goals.
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International Council of Nurses
3, place Jean-Marteau
1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 (22) 908 01 00
Fax +41 (22) 908 01 01
email: icn@icn.ch
www.icn.ch