American Nursing Association’s and the American College of Healthcare, Essay Example

A Comparison of the American Nursing Association’s and the American College of Healthcare Executive’s Code of Ethics

From the time of the Hippocratic Oath, codes of ethics and standards of practice have been an integral part of being an effective healthcare provider, as these codes outline the behavior that is expected from professionals in this field (Limenati, 1999, p.394). This is largely due to the unique and intimate relationship which exists between patient and clinician, and one that must be based on trust in order to be effective and therapeutic and to promote positive patient outcomes.  Two major healthcare organizations – the American Nursing Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives – have codes of ethics which are explored in the sections below.

The American Nursing Association’s Code of Ethics

The code of ethics instituted by the American Nursing Association is in nine parts and establishes the principles by which nurses are to work in order to perform their duties in a manner consistent with good practice and respect for both the patient and the profession.  This ethical code is comprehensive in its scope without being overly detailed or dated, and its first principle is arguably its most important one: to “practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and uniqueness of the individual” (American Nursing Association, 2013, p. 1).  The code covers the nurse’s relations with the patient (asserting that the nurse’s primary relationship is with the patient), but also outlines the nurse’s duties to his/her profession (through such things as continuing education and professional development) as well as to other healthcare workers (asserting that delegation must take place within appropriate context and scope of practice).  Interestingly, the code also asserts that the nurse owes the same duties to him- or herself as he/she does to others.  In other words, the nurse must learn self-care and also commit to personal and professional growth.  This code has obviously been written with a great deal of consideration and with thought for the expanding and evolving role of nursing both here in the United States and abroad.

The American College of Healthcare Executive’s Code of Ethics

The American College of Healthcare Executives also has a code of ethics, and there are several differences between this code and the one promulgated by the American Nursing Association.  Firstly, the ACHE constructs its code based on the healthcare executive’s relationship with other groups who are invested in healthcare and outlines the executive’s responsibilities to the profession itself, to the patients, to the organization for which the executive works, to the employees and to society at large.  The primacy of the relationship to the patient does not seem to be here as strongly as it is in the ANA code, but that it likely due to the fact that a nurse has much more direct and intimate contact with the patient than does an executive.  Also, there is no mention of the responsibilities that an executive owes to him- or herself, as is mentioned by the ANA.  Unlike the ANA code, one of the provisions of the ACHE also provides a hotline for reporting any infractions or violations of this code.

Conclusion

Although there are some inherent differences between the two codes of ethics, there seems to be no major conflict between them and one important similarity they have is the importance they place on the right conduct of professionals engaged in the uniquely intimate relationship that exists between the patient and the caregiver. This should be a goal of healthcare professionals, whether they are involved in administration or in direct patient care and the fundamental similarity of the codes reflect this.

References

American College of Healthcare Executives.  (2011). “American College of Healthcare Executives Code of Ethics”. Web. 15 June 2014.

American Nursing Association.  (2014). “Code of Ethics for Nurses”.  Web.  15 June 2014.

Limenati, A. (1999). “The Role of Ethical Principles in Healthcare and the Implications for Ethical Codes”.  The Journal of Medical Ethics.  25(2) 394-398