The code consists of four values underpinning professional conduct:
Value 1: Respect
Treating health consumers, families and colleagues with respect enables nursing relationships that support health consumers’ health and well-being. Treating someone with respect means behaving towards that person in a way that values their worth, dignity and uniqueness. It is a fundamental requirement of professional nursing relationships and ethical conduct.
Value 2: Trust
Nurses are privileged in their relationships with health consumers. Nurses need to establish trusting relationships with health consumers to effectively provide care. Health consumers need to be able to trust nurses to be safe and competent, not to harm them and to protect them from harm. Nurses must be trustworthy and maintain the public’s trust in the nursing profession.
Value 3: Partnership
Partnership occurs when health consumers are given sufficient information, in a manner they can understand, in order to make an informed choice about their care and treatment and are fully involved in their care and treatment. Their independence, views and preferences are values. Nurses must be aware of the inherent power imbalance between themselves and health consumers, especially when the health consumer has limited knowledge, may be vulnerable or is part of a marginalised group.
Value 4: Integrity
Being honest, acting consistently and honouring our commitments to deliver safe and competent care is the basis of health consumers’ trust in nurses. Integrity means consistently acting according to values and principles and being accountable for actions and must be able to justify their decisions.
The code of conduct is a set of standards defined by the Council describing the behaviour or conduct that nurses are expected to uphold. The code of conduct provides guidance on appropriate behaviour for all nurses and can be used by health consumers, nurses, employers, the nursing council and other bodies to evaluate the behaviour of nurses. Failure to uphold these standards of behaviour could lead to disciplinary investigation. This is not a code of ethics – it does not seek to describe all the ethical values of the profession or to provide specific advice on ethical issues, ethical frameworks or ethical decision making.
The code consists of four values underpinning professional conduct:
Value 1: Respect
Treating health consumers, families and colleagues with respect enables nursing relationships that support health consumers’ health and well-being. Treating someone with respect means behaving towards that person in a way that values their worth, dignity and uniqueness. It is a fundamental requirement of professional nursing relationships and ethical conduct.
Value 2: Trust
Nurses are privileged in their relationships with health consumers. Nurses need to establish trusting relationships with health consumers to effectively provide care. Health consumers need to be able to trust nurses to be safe and competent, not to harm them and to protect them from harm. Nurses must be trustworthy and maintain the public’s trust in the nursing profession.
Value 3: Partnership
Partnership occurs when health consumers are given sufficient information, in a manner they can understand, in order to make an informed choice about their care and treatment and are fully involved in their care and treatment. Their independence, views and preferences are values. Nurses must be aware of the inherent power imbalance between themselves and health consumers, especially when the health consumer has limited knowledge, may be vulnerable or is part of a marginalised group.
Value 4: Integrity
Being honest, acting consistently and honouring our commitments to deliver safe and competent care is the basis of health consumers’ trust in nurses. Integrity means consistently acting according to values and principles and being accountable for actions and must be able to justify their decisions.
Professional Boundaries
Nurses must be aware of their professional responsibility to maintain appropriate personal, sexual and financial boundaries in relationships with current and former health consumers and their families.
1. Power Imbalance: Nurses hold a position of authority and influence in their relationships with health consumers, which can be further heightened by the vulnerability of the consumer's health status or background.
2. Pre-existing Relationships: When nurses have prior connections with health consumers, they must be transparent about these relationships, clarify the boundaries, and ensure that their professional judgment remains unbiased.
3. Cultural Responsiveness: Effective care involves understanding and respecting cultural norms and practices, such as establishing trust through sharing personal information in Māori culture.
4. Caring for Close Friends or Family: It's challenging for nurses to maintain objectivity when providing care to close acquaintances. In such cases, if feasible, another nurse should take over the care responsibilities to ensure impartiality.
5. Small, Rural, or Remote Communities: Nurses working in smaller communities must prioritize the individual's care needs while managing privacy concerns and maintaining confidentiality.
6. Social Media and Electronic Communication: Nurses should exercise caution in using social media, keeping personal and professional lives separate and avoiding online relationships with current or former health consumers.
Overall, these principles emphasize the importance of ethical conduct, professionalism, and maintaining the integrity of the nurse-patient relationship in various contexts of nursing practice.