Ethics in Nursing
Moral Reasoning for Nursing Practice in Canada
Regulatory standards require ethics in nursing curriculum in all
Canadian nursing education programs including licensed practical nurse and registered psychiatric nursing programs.
Nurses must have a foundation in ethics so that they can work in the public interest and engage in moral reasoning.
It may be necessary to engage in moral reasoning when there are conflicting interests influencing important issues that need
to be decided.
Placing the topic of ethics in nursing curriculum ensures that graduate nurses are tuned to the client's needs and can
engage in ethical
decision making when there are competing interests that may be strongly influencing a decision.
Without a knowledge base of moral reasoning and
ethical theory an individual
nurse may feel unsure about whose interests are most important in deciding an issue and public interest may not be served.
Ethics in nursing education in Canada must include the following:
Ethics in nursing curriculum is required in Canada because:
- All nurses must work in the public interest. Even if nursing practice occurs in the private sector
the interests of the client must outweigh the interest of the employer and must always be the first priority of the professional nurse.
- All provincial nursing organizations have professional standards that require nurses to practice ethically.
- All licensing exams including the
Canadian Registered Nurse Exam and the
Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE)
test the ability to apply knowledge of ethics in nursing practice.
This statement contained in the
Canadian Nurses Association position statement
"Ethical Practice: The Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses" reveals
that the topic of ethics must go beyond moral reasoning for patient care decisions.
"Ethical nursing practice also involves endeavouring to address broad aspects of social justice that are
associated with health and well being. These aspects relate to the need
for change in systems and societal structures in order to create greater equity for all. Nurses should
endeavour as much as possible
individually and collectively to advocate for and eliminate social inequities."
In order to prepare nurses to engage in moral reasoning required for issues of social justice, nursing curriculum in Canada must also
examine social and political issues related to health and well being as well as the politics of the
Canadian health care system.
The nursing profession is regulated in the
public interest in Canada and under these regulations all regulatory
nursing organizations must ensure that
nursing curriculum has the necessary content to prepare graduates to meet profession provincial nursing standards and
competencies including those that reference ethical nursing practice.
Here is a list of all the the pages on this website (including this one) that contain more specific information about ethics in nursing.
Nursing Ethics in Canada - an introduction to the regulations
that require ethical nursing practice in Canada.
What is the
Nursing Code of Ethics
for nursing practice in Canada?
The What's and Why's of an
Ethical Code for Nursing Practice
Ethical Theories - a brief explanation of the three classifications of ethical theories used most often by nurses
What is an
Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Practice? - a description of the ethical principles used in moral reasoning in nursing practice.
Ethical Decision Making in Nursing Practice - the Influence of Personal and Professional Values
Ethical Issues in Nursing Practice in Canada - What are Some of the Current Ethical Issues in Nursing?
The requirement for
Ethics in Nursing Curriculum in Canada
