Nurses value the ability to provide safe, competent and ethical care that allows them to
fulfill their ethical and professional obligations to the people they serve.
1. Nurses must strive for the highest quality of care achievable.
2. Nurses must recognize that they have the ability to engage in determining and
expressing their own moral choices. Their moral choices may be influenced by
external factors (e.g., institutional values and constraints).
3. Nurses should be sufficiently clear and reflective about their personal values to
recognize potential value conflicts.
4. Nurses must maintain an acceptable level of health and well-being in order to provide
a competent level of service/care for the people they serve.
5. Nurses must base their practice on relevant research findings and acquire new skills
and knowledge in their area of practice throughout their career.
6. Nurses must practice within their own level of competence. When aspects of care are
beyond their level of competence, they must seek additional information or
knowledge, seek help from their supervisor or a competent practitioner and/or request
a different work assignment. In the meantime, nurses must provide care until another
nurse is available to do so.
7. Nurses seeking professional employment must accurately state their area(s) of
competence. They should seek reasonable assurance that employment conditions will
permit care consistent with the values and responsibilities of the code.
8. Nurses must admit mistakes and take all necessary actions to prevent or minimize
harm arising from an adverse event.
9. Nurses must strive to prevent and minimize adverse events5 in collaboration with
colleagues on the health-care team. When adverse events occur, nurses should utilize
opportunities to improve the system and prevent harm.
10. All nurses must contribute to safe and supportive work environments.
11. Nurse leaders have a particular obligation to strive for safe practice environments that
support ethical practice.
12. Nurses should advocate for ongoing research designed to identify best nursing
practices and for the collection and interpretation of nursing care data at a national
level.