Context for Practice: Nurses place all people at the centre of the professional nursing relationship, value the principles of primary care, and provide compassionate, ethical and humanizing care to clients. Nurses uphold and nurture positive relationships with clients, nursing colleagues, students, and the interprofessional team. Nurses foster a culture of safety and civility as necessary for the safety and well-being of clients, staff and organizations. Nurses strengthen their capability to provide compassionate care and focus on their personal well-being through self-reflection and mutual support to nursing colleagues, interprofessional teams, and at all levels of leadership.
| Ethical Responsibilities: Nurses demonstrate that all people are at the centre of their relationship by |
| 2.1.1 |
engaging in compassionate, humanizing care through their verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g.., speech and body language) and through their efforts to understand and care about others’ health-care needs; |
| 2.1.2 |
using advanced technological applications (including artificial intelligence) as an adjunct to care (e.g., not as a replacement for human interactions) while maintaining compassionate, person-centred nurse-client relationships; |
| 2.1.3 |
recognizing and using the values and principles of primary health care to maximize the health and well-being of clients and the public; |
| 2.1.4 |
building trustworthy relationships with all people and implementing best practices that make civility the foundation of meaningful communication for understanding people’s needs and concerns; |
| 2.1.5 |
questioning, intervening, and reporting unsafe, non-compassionate, unethical or incompetent practice, incivility or conditions that interfere with their ability to provide safe, compassionate, competent, and ethical care and supporting those who do the same; |
| 2.1.6 |
engaging in open dialogue and team collaboration and taking all necessary actions (e.g., listening to clients’ concerns, clarifying roles and responsibilities, shared communication, following safety protocols) to prevent or minimize potential or actual patient safety incidents; |
| 2.1.7 |
reporting and learning from near misses and working with interprofessional colleagues to reduce the potential for future risks and preventable harms; |
| 2.1.8 |
treating nursing colleagues, unregulated care providers, students and other interprofessional team members in a respectful manner, recognizing the power differentials among formal leaders, colleagues and students; |
| 2.1.9 |
respecting the diversity and culture of colleagues and that of other health-care professionals; and |
| 2.1.10 |
seeking constructive and collaborative approaches to resolving differences among members of the health-care team using a person-centred approach in conflict resolution. |
In addition, nurses in formal or informal leadership (e.g., administration, clinical care, education, policy and research) roles safeguard the health and well-being of clients, staff and students by
| 2.1.11 |
fostering a safe, quality practice environment through the establishment of civility best practices, effective communication, and whistleblowing and safety protocols; and |
| 2.1.12 |
fostering a moral community in which ethical values and safety concerns can be openly discussed and supported. |