title: Arguing for a dynamic quality in professional codes of ethics.
abstract: Many professional organizations and healthcare institutions have developed codes of ethics for a number of reasons. Unlike legal mandates, codes of ethics provide professionals with a framework for ethical behavior within their specific discipline. Professionals today face challenges because the necessary ethical debates cannot keep pace with the rapidly changing environment in which ethical dilemmas quickly emerge. This article describes components of codes of ethics, outlines the evolving nature of ethics, and argues for a dynamic quality in these codes as a way to provide timely, sensitive guidance for professional practice.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D000575:American Nurses' Association; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D012945:Social Values; D014481:United States