title: Moral obligations of nurses based on the ICN, UK, Irish and Polish codes of ethics for nurses.
abstract: A code of professional conduct is a collection of norms appropriate for the nursing profession and should be the point of reference for all decisions made during the care process. Codes of ethics for nurses are formulated by members of national nurses' organizations. These codes can be considered to specify general norms that function in the relevant society, adjusting them to the character of the profession and enriching them with rules signifying the essence of nursing professionalism. The aim of this article is to present a comparative analysis of codes of ethics for nurses: the ICN's Code of ethics for nurses, the U.K.'s Code of professional conduct, the Irish Code of professional conduct for each nurse and midwife, and the Polish Code of professional ethics for nurses and midwives. This analysis allows the identification of common elements in the professional ethics of nurses in these countries.
authors.affiliation: Medical University, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Al. Raclawickie 1, 20-059 Lublin, Poland. bdob10@wp.pl
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dobrowolska
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wrońska
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fidecki
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wysokiński
mesh_terms: D032781:Codes of Ethics; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007392:International Council of Nurses; D007494:Ireland; D028681:Moral Obligations; D011044:Poland; D006113:United Kingdom