The profession of nursing, as represented by associations
and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing
values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession
and its practice, and for shaping social policy.
9.1 Assertion of values
9.2 The profession carries out its collective responsibility through
professional associations
9.3 Intraprofessional integrity
9.4 Social reform
9.1 Assertion of values
It is the responsibility of a professional association to communicate and affirm
the values of the profession to its members. It is essential that the professional
organization encourages discourse that supports critical self-reflection and evaluation
within the profession. The organization also communicates to the public the
values that nursing considers central to social change that will enhance health.
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9.2 The profession carries out its collective responsibility through
professional associations
The nursing profession continues to develop ways to clarify nursing’s accountability
to society. The contract between the profession and society is made explicit
through such mechanisms as (a) The Code of Ethics for Nurses, (b) the standards
of nursing practice, (c) the ongoing development of nursing knowledge derived
from nursing theory, scholarship, and research in order to guide nursing actions,
(d) educational requirements for practice, (e) certification, and (f ) mechanisms
for evaluating the effectiveness of professional nursing actions.
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9.3 Intraprofessional integrity
A professional association is responsible for expressing the values and ethics of the
profession and also for encouraging the professional organization and its members
to function in accord with those values and ethics. Thus, one of its fundamental
responsibilities is to promote awareness of and adherence to the Code of Ethics
and to critique the activities and ends of the professional association itself. Values
and ethics influence the power structures of the association in guiding, correcting,
and directing its activities. Legitimate concerns for the self-interest of the association
and the profession are balanced by a commitment to the social goods that
are sought. Through critical self-reflection and self-evaluation, associations must
foster change within themselves, seeking to move the professional community
toward its stated ideals.
9.4 Social reform
Nurses can work individually as citizens or collectively through political action to
bring about social change. It is the responsibility of a professional nursing association
to speak for nurses collectively in shaping and reshaping health care within
our nation, specifically in areas of healthcare policy and legislation that affect
accessibility, quality, and the cost of health care. Here, the professional association
maintains vigilance and takes action to influence legislators, reimbursement
agencies, nursing organizations, and other health professions. In these activities,
health is understood as being broader than delivery and reimbursement systems,
but extending to health-related sociocultural issues such as violation of human
rights, homelessness, hunger, violence, and the stigma of illness.
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