The Ethics of Nurse Poaching from the Developing World

Recruiting nurses from other countries is a long-standing practice. In recent years many countries in the developed world have more frequently recruited nurses from the developing world, causing an imbalance in the health services in often already impoverished countries. Despite guidelines and promises by developed countries that the practice should cease, it has largely failed to do so. A consortium of authors from countries that have experienced significant nurse poaching consider the ethical aspects behind this continuing practice.

Moral Obligations of Nurses Based on the ICN, UK, Irish and Polish Codes of Ethics for Nurses

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 UK’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.

Building bridges in an uncertain world

Three months into my new role at the International Council of Nurses (ICN), it is clear that nursing is high on the agenda of big global institutions.

THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF THE STATUS AND IMAGE OF THE NURSING PROFESSION

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) defined nursing as a sphere integrating autonomous and collaborative care provided to the individual, family, and community within and outside of the care setting. Furthermore, the ICN noted that the profession comprises four major spheres of action: promoting health, preventing illness and treating patients, treating people with disabilities, and providing end-of-life care. The ICN's directives and recommendations for assimilating its Code of Ethics emphasized that the nursing staff and nursing students must understand its clauses, act according to them, discuss them with colleagues and others, and integrate its details in all spheres of action, teaching, administration, and research. Over the past half century since publishing the Code of Ethics, nursing as a care profession has developed broadly in terms of its essentials, expertise, and primarily academically. Despite the impressive growth of the profession, there is still extreme diversity in the public's perceptions and opinions of the profession and its professionals and in the knowledge of the fundamentals of its true function and spheres of engagement. The current study examines the existing knowledge among the general population regarding the nursing profession.

Give UK nursing bigger global voice by rejoining ICN, college is urged

The next chief executive of the International Council of Nurses should encourage the RCN to rejoin the organisation and ensure the UK has a greater say on nursing at a global level, a former college president believes.

ICN reiterates its call for more Ebola protection

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has repeated its call for safer working environments for nurses working in countries hit by the Ebola epidemic.