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 As adopted by the PNA House of Delegates in 1982 and
amended by the Board of Nursing in its Resolution No. 1989,
approved by the General Assembly of Nurses on October 25, 1990.

Pursuant to Section 3 of Republic Act. No. 877, known as

the Philippine Nursing Law and Section 6 of Presidential Decree
No. 233 dated June 22, 1973 the House of Delegates hereby adopts
the following amended Code of Ethics for Nurses, recommended
and endorsed by the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) to
govern the practice of nursing in the Philippines, replacing
resolution No. 633 of the Board of Nursing dated March 21, 1984.
 wOREWORD

Health is a fundamental right of every individual. Therefore the

nursesǯ primary responsibility is to preserve health at all cost. This
responsibility encompasses promotion of health, prevention of illness,
alleviation of suffering and restoration of health.

Basic to nursing is knowledge and understanding of man. wor

effective health knowledge of manǯs cultural, social, pathophysiological,
psychological and ecological aspects of illness and the therapeutic
process is essential. Differences in ethinicity, political and social status
are not barriers to effective nursing care.

Standard of practice vary in different settings.

Society is ever-changing and nurses respond to change.

Respect for the rights and dignity of individuals is basic to the

practice of profession.
NURSES AND PEOPLE

Values, customs and spiritual beliefs held by individuals are to be

respected.

*Guidelines*
1. Nurses must consider the individuality and totality of their clients when
administering care.
2. Nurses must respect the spiritual beliefs and practices of their clients
regarding diet and treatment.
3. They must not be instruments in the violation of individual rights

Nurses hold in strict confidence personal information acquired in the

process of giving nursing. They use discriminative judgment in sharing this
information.

*Guidelines*
1. Nurses must hold in confidence personal matters committed to their care.
2. They must take into consideration the culture and values of clients
providing nursing care but in the event of conflict, the clientǯs welfare must
take precedence.
NURSES AND PRACTICES

The nurses are accountable for their own nursing practice. They are
responsible for their personal and professional growth and development.

*Guidelines*

1. The definition of scope of nursing practice is that which is within provision

of the proposed Philippine Nursing Law of 1990.
2. Nurses must know their responsibilities in the practice of their profession.
3. Nurses must acquire and develop the necessary competence (knowledge,
skills and attitudes) to effectively render proper nursing services through
formal, non-formal, structured and under structured learning situations.
4. Continuing education aims for the achievement of competence of the
individual nurse in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
5. Nurse administrators are responsible in providing of favorable environment
for the growth and development of nurses in their charge.
6. Accreditation for professional programs shall be undertaken by PRC or
PNA.
7. Nurses shall be answerable for culpable negligence, malpractice and
wrongful acts or commission in the performance of their duties.
—. Accountability for nursing practice considers the adaptness of the nurse in
diagnosis and treatment of human responses as evidence by the patientǯs
ability to cope, with the following:
a. activities of daily living
b. developmental/maturational and adaptive functions
c. stresses, environmental, psychological and physiological

Nurses maintain or modify standards of practices within reality of any given

situation. Quality care is their goal.

*Guidelines*
1. Quality nursing care is that which meet at least optimum, standard and
considers the client addressed.
2. Modification of practice shall considers the principle of safe practice.
3. Nurses in position of authority in a work environment are normally and legally
responsible from devising a system of minimizing occurrences of ineffective
and unlawful nursing practice.
Nurses are the advocates of the patients. They take appropriate steps to
safeguard the patientsǯ right and privileges.

*Guidelines*
1. Nurses should respect the following patientsǯ rights when rendering care:
a. cultural and religious beliefs
b. privacy
c. confidentiality of information
2. Nurses provide the patients all pertinent information except those which
may deemed harmful to their well-being.
3. They ensure the patientsǯ records are available only to those who are
professionally directly involved in their care except when required by law.
4. When conflict arises regarding management of patient, care, the patientsǯ
rights are upheld.
NURSES AND CO-WORKERS

Nurses maintain collaborative working relationships with their co-

workers and other members of the health team.
They recognize their capabilities and limitations in accepting
responsibilities and those of their co-workers when delegating responsibilities
to them.
*Guidelines*
1. Nurses must establish their professional role/identity while working with
other members of the health team.
2. Conformity with group activities as those of a health team should be based
on acceptable, ethico-legal standards.
3. They contribute to the professional growth and development of their
members of the health team.
4. Active participation to organizations within the hospital and outside the
hospital is encouraged.
5. Nurses shall not act in any member prejudicial to other professions.
6. They shall honor and safeguard the reputation and dignity of other
members of nursing and other professions. They should refrain from
making unfair and unwarranted comments or criticism on their
competence, conduct and procedure or do anything that will bring discredit
to a colleague and to any member of other professions.
7. Nurses shall respect the rights of their co-workers.
NURSES AND SOCIETY

Nurses are contributing members of society. They assume responsibilities

inherent in being members and citizens of the community/society in which they
live/work.

*Guidelines*
1. They must be conscious of their obligations as citizens and as such be
involved in community concerns.
2. Being equipped with knowledge of health resources within the community,
they take active roles in primary health care such as health information,
dissemination, referral and rendering of actual care.
3. Nurses must actively participate in programs that answer problems of
society.
4. Nurses must lead their lives in conformity with the principles of right
conduct and proper decorum.
NURSE AND THE PROwESSION

Nurses are expected to be members of the nursing professional organization.

Inherent in this responsibility is to support and uphold its constitutions and by-
laws.

*Guidelines*
1. Nurses are enjoined to be members of the PNA and avail of the prevailing
continuing education unit privilege.
2. Heads of Nursing Groups/Organizations shall be responsible for the PNA
membership of the constituents.

Nurses help to determine and implement desirable standards of nursing practice

and education.

*Guidelines*
1. Nursing standards shall be developed exclusively by nurses and
implementation thereof shall be strictly adhered to.
 They participate actively in the development and growth of the nursing
profession.

Nurses shall initiate and involve themselves in structured and non-

structured research activities within their existing milieu.

They strive to secure equitable socio-economic and work conditions in

nursing through appropriate legislation and other means.

*Guideline*

1. Nurses shall assert for the implementation of labor standards and work for
the legislation to improve existing socio-economic conditions.
RESPONSIBILITIES Ow THE NURSE TO THE PHYSICIAN

ubparagraph seven of ection 17 of R.A. —77, as amended by R.A. 4704 and

R.A. 6136 states:
Dzthe application and execution for legal orders in writing of physicians
concerning treatment and medication including the application of hypodermic
and intramuscular injections: u
 That intravenous and other injections
may be administered under the direction and in the presence of a physician;
u
 
  That the previous order in writing of a physician shall not be
necessary if the application and execution of such order is made in the presence
of the said physician.dz

* It is therefore expected that the nurses will not carry out doctorǯs orders but
help plan and implement patient care as well.
* If any of the medical orders were not carried out for some reason should nor
only be brought to the attention of the physician but also noted properly in the
patientǯs chart.
* Nurses should familiarize themselves with various routines, methods or
idiosyncrasies of physicians.
* Nurse should remember that any medical act delegated to them is illegal.
RESPONSIBILITIES Ow THE NURSE TO THEIR COLLEAGUES

*Nurses are expected to be able to get along smoothly with their colleagues.

*Nurses should be able to adjust themselves to the organization and to know

its policies and procedures.

*It is important that nurses know their placement in the total organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES Ow THE NURSE TOWARDS THEMSELVES

*It is expected that every possible means shall be utilized by them to develop
their skills.

*Their conduct should be such that would bring credit to the profession.

*Especially when nurses are on duty, they should try to look neat and
attractive.

*The use of uniforms should be specified in the policy of the hospital/agency.

*Nurses are looked upon by nursing students as their role models.

RESPONSIBILITY Ow THE NURSES TO THE PATIENT

*The primary responsibility of the nurse to the patient is to give him the kind
of care his condition needs regardless of his race, creed, color etc.

*Nurses are advised to become familiar with and observe the patientǯs Bill of
Rights.

*The patient and his family are entitled to know information of facts within
the limits determined by the physician.

*Any information gathered by the nurse during the course of care to the
patient should always be treated confidential.

*Because nurses are given compensation for their services, they should not
accept tips of expensive gifts that may induce to give more care to faovred
patients and neglect those who cannot give.

*When a nurse is engaged by a patient, or any agency, she/he should complete

said service for the length of time stipulated by the contract,