Social work as a profession is mandated to address fundamental values, ethical standards and principles. The NASW codes of ethics have been mandate to articulate and guide the conduct of nurses as wells as the provision principles and values that they ought to uphold (Hall, 2013). Regardless of the group of people that they serve, the environment in which they operate and their professional jurisdictions, the NASW codes of ethics are applicable to each and social worker. Carlisle, R, Carlisle, K, Hill, Kirk-Jenkins, and Polychronopoulos, (2013) explore the following as purposes in which the codes seek to fulfill:
The core values that act as a foundational basis for social work are provided for.
There are diverse and dynamic ethical principles and policies that depict and encompass the profession’s fundamental values. The NASW codes of ethics summarize these concepts and pre-determine the ethical standards that are to be adhered to by the profession.
New practitioners within social work are educated on the ethical principles, mission, visions and ethical standards that ought to be practiced.
The codes aid in the establishment of a platform that is used in the determination of whether the code of professional conduct has been adhered to.
With such a framework in place, nurses are indebted to the citizens. To this effect, a person has been given mandate by legal systems to hold the workers accountable to their actions.
Consequently, the NASW codes of conduct are vital in the determination of relevant decisions in the case where ethical conflicts are prevalent.
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"Diversity and Ethics".
How the Code of Ethics Affects Human Diversity
The NASW codes of conduct plays an important role in the decision making process especially when one is faced with an ethical dilemma or when professional conflicts arise (Carlisle et al., 2013). It is imperative to take not that the code of ethics does not take into account all the issues that may arise within social work. For this reason, there are a number of situations that require individuals to rational in coming up with the way forward. Ethical responsibilities are multifaceted. This means that they are inclusive of personal, familial, professional, social issues etc. In the instances where conflicts arise, all codes of ethics are important in one way or another. It is a fact that reasonable conflicts emerge within the social work profession a daily basis as with respect to ranking of ethical standards, principles and values.
It is paramount for the individual social worker to enforce individual judgment. He or she should also be able to presume how the decision would be perceived in a peer reviewed context that requires the application of the ethical standard (Carlisle et al., 2013). Coming up with an informed and rational decision is a process. Complex situations arise from time to time and simple answers are not able to counter these concerns. With adequate knowledge, a social worker that is faced with such an issue will consider the ethical principles, standards and values that are imperative in which the ethical concepts are warranted. The decisions and actions that are enforceable within the profession ought to be logically coherent to the NASW code of ethics.
Ethical principles and values are vital in social work as a profession in general. The main aim of nurses is to be of service and help people in need without bias (Hall, 2013). This means that they have a professional jurisdiction towards people regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, social class, religion, mental capacity etc. Their self interest should be preceded by impeccable service towards the masses (Johnston, 2105). It is also important for nurses to treat people by respecting their self worth and overall inherent dignity. They ought to treat each person in a mindful, respectful and caring manner regardless of the aforementioned factors. They are, as a matter of fact, responsible for the enhancement of client’s self determination.
With a set of NASW codes of ethics, nurses have educated on the need to have ethical responsibilities towards the clients. They have a core responsibility to promote the overall welfare of their clients. Client’s interests are primary and fundamental. In addition, play an important role by helping their client’s find a sense of direction by helping them identify and precisely clarify their goals in life. They are only allowed to intervene in the case where such interventions are risky or may lead to serious consequences. The relationship that exists between the clients and the nurses should be respected. Boundaries should be set on a valid informed consent. Professionalism is paramount in undertaking assigned tasks and objectives.
Conclusion
The nursing profession is faced with a number of ethical dilemmas that in most cases question the integrity and discipline of the social workers (Carlisle et al., 2013). Their profession requires interaction with clients on a daily basis. For this reason, the incorporation of NASW code of ethics is fundamental in ensuring that organizational objectives are achieved in an adequate manner. In some instances, they may be faced with a conflict of interest. Before this arises, it is the responsibility of the nurse to inform the client and come up with decisions that protects the interests of the clients. At times, nurses fall into romantic relationships with their patients. In addition, some nurses are tempted to disclose private information without client consent. In such a case, the non disclosure agreement is contravened. To ensure that these, among other dilemmas, are not recurrent a prevalent, adequate education ought to be given to employees as an informative procedure on the need for professional ethics.
- Carlisle, R. M., Carlisle, K. L., Hill, T., Kirk-Jenkins, A. J., & Polychronopoulos, G. B. (2013). Distance Supervision in Human Services. Raise your career a degree., 17.
- Hall, E. D. (2013). MSW Student Handbook (Doctoral dissertation, The Appalachian State University).
- Johnston, L. (2015). School of Social Work.
