The International Council of Nurses (ICN) was formed 1899, first proposed
by a prominent nursing campaigner Bedford Fenwick, and from here an
agenda was set to advance the status of nurses and the profession of
nursing worldwide. As set out in the ICN Charter of July 1900:
During the first world war, many thousands of nurses were brought to
serve, and this highlighted the problematic unorganised nature of
nursing at the time. Many nurses who volunteered for work were only
discovered to be untrained once arriving at their destination.(Tilley and
Watson, 2003, p. 17). This confusion and chaos further prompted the
issue of registration and in 1919 registration was added to the law
England. Thus nursing formally recognised as a regulated occupation and
was loosely defined as 'someone who had completed an acceptable
nursing programme and passed an examination' (Morrow 1988 p. 23).
From the 20th Century onwards nursing has slowly built it's specialised
body of knowledge in an effort to move achieve a higher standing as a
profession, beginning with emerging journals, theories and organisations,
and becoming more respected in the academic world. As defined by Ellis
and Hartley (2004, p. 159) a profession is based mainly upon 'the ability
of any group to develop its own professional policy and to function
autonomously', also 'that there exists a code of ethics'. Critics of nursing
as a profession suggest that the autonomy of nursing is a weak area.
However as the health industry continues to undergo reform, roles such
as nurse practitioner are becoming more powerful, providing expert
nursing care and functioning as primary healthcare providers. (Aktan
2010 p. 4).
The area of nursing ethics has been studied and revised for the past 100
years. Beginning with the Nightingale Pledge of 1893, it is considered
one of the first written ethical guidelines for nurses (Stewart and Austin,
1962, p. 141). Over the next 50 years many organisations made their
own adaptations and versions, resulting in 1953 with the first ICN code
being adopted. This code internationally sets the standard for nurses on
issues such as 'respect for human rights, including the right to life, to
dignity and to be treated with respect' (ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
2010). As the role of legislation and law has become more important in
modern nursing, standards of practice have been developed 'to
determine what is reasonable in all of the prevailing circumstances'
( Dempsey, 2009, p. 228). Codes of ethics and standards of practice are
essential in modern nursing because it provides guidance for nurses in
their professional relationships, responsibilities, behaviours and decision
making. (Storch 2007, p. 31).
References
Aktan, N. M.,(2010). Fast Facts for the New Nurse Practioner: What You Really
Need to Know in a Nutshell. New York; Springer Publishing Company.
Daley, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2010). Contexts of Nursing (3rd ed.).
Sydney; Elsevier.
Donahue, P., M. (1985). Nursing, the Finest Art: An Illustrated History. St. Louis;
Mosby.
Ellis, J., E., Hartley, C., L. (2004). Nursing in Today's World: Trends, Issues and
Management. Philadelphia; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Nelson, S. (2000). A genealogy of the care of the sick: nursing, holism and
pious practice. Nursing Praxis International, Hans, England
Stewart, I., M., Austin, A., L. (1962). A History of Nursing, From Ancient to
Modern Times: A World View. New York; Putnam.
Storch, J., L. (2007). Enduring Values in Changing Times: The CNA codes of
ethics. Canadian Nurse 103(4): 29-33, 37.