Nurses uphold principles of equity and fairness to assist persons in receiving a share of
health services and resources proportionate to their needs and promoting social justice.
1. Nurses must not discriminate in the provision of nursing care based on a person’s
race, ethnicity, culture, spiritual beliefs, social or marital status, sex, sexual
orientation, age, health status, lifestyle, mental or physical disability, and/or ability to
pay.
2. Nurses must strive to make fair decisions about the allocation of resources under their
control based upon the individual needs of persons in their care.
3. Nurses should put forward, and advocate for, the interests of all persons in their care.
This includes helping individuals and groups gain access to appropriate health care
that is of their choosing.
4. Nurses should promote appropriate and ethical care at the organizational/agency and
community levels by participating in the development, implementation and ongoing
review of policies and procedures designed to provide the best care for persons with
the best use of available resources given current knowledge and research.
5. Nurses should advocate for health policies and decision-making procedures that are
consistent with current knowledge and practice.
6. Nurses should advocate for fairness and inclusiveness in health resource allocation,
including policies and programs addressing determinants of health, along with
research based technology and palliative approaches to health care.
7. Nurses should be aware of broader health concerns such as environmental pollution,
violations of human rights, world hunger, homelessness, violence, etc. and are
encouraged to the extent possible in their personal circumstances to work individually
as citizens or collectively for policies and procedures to bring about social change,
keeping in mind the needs of future generations (ANA, 2001).