CNA Code of Ethics - Essay Example

The Canadian Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses plays a vital role because it reflects the involvement and nursing’s interest in social justice by laying down corresponding ethical responsibilities and primary values which nurses who are registered in Canada are supposed to uphold in their course of duty. The Canadian Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses also comprises statements with ethical issues that nurses may undertake to address social inequities that affect the well-being and health of their clients.

The Code of Ethics plays a vital role for Canadian Registered Nurses because it contains ethical practices which stipulate that nurses should work with families, individuals, groups, communities, and populations to expand the healthcare choices available and become aware that some individuals have limited choices due to geographic, social or economic factors, the lead to inequities (CNA, 2009).

Social Justice
Social Justice refers to the fair distribution of responsibilities and resources among the members of a given population taking into consideration the relative position of a given social group as compared with others in the community or society as a whole. Social justice also considers the major causes of disparities and the steps that can be taken to abolish or eliminate them.

The term “resources” according to the concept of social justice in health and health care refers not only to the direct services but rather to other facets of life which can have a positive impact on health, like for instance, gainful employment, food security, adequate income, a social safety net, adequate education, and social inclusion. According to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), these are collectively referred to as the factors found in the social environment which are external to the system of healthcare and which are known to exert a primary and potentially changeable influence on the health of various populations. To take action meant for social justice implies attempting to reduce differences occurring on a system-wide basis in which certain groups of disadvantaged people are prevented from getting equal access to health care services and the determinants of life (CNA, 2009).

On the other hand, Social Justice in Health Care also implies working to prevent oppressive practices such as discrimination of people based on sexual orientation, age, gender, or any other factors that comprise the wealth and health of an individual. Social justice can therefore occur on a one-to-one interaction between healthcare providers in a health facility themselves or between a patient and the nurse.

Social Justice is a Nursing Concern
Social Justice is a nursing concern because, given the fact that all societies are known to suffer from systematic, broad oppression and inequities, these are bound to hurt both an individual's and the communities health. The equity of social relationships that are based on gender, race, and economic status will result in the stability of health population indicators between the various groups, leading to national and international positive outcomes. It is therefore in this same breadth that the professional in the nursing organization endeavors to ensure that no person who is receiving health care is subjected to oppression or discrimination of any form through the promotion of health and well-being (Boutain, 2005).

Given the fact that social justice is a nursing concern, the nurse professional ensures that any individual who requires nursing care is subjected to treatment in a respectful way and through the acknowledgment and minimization of disparities that emerge due to social or background status to the highest possible extent. For a long time, social justice has been considered a vital component in public health nursing; it has also been a core tenet in the nursing of mental health.

The improvement of physical and mental health can therefore be best addressed through solving existing societal inequities which are prevalent in society. This can best be done through the acknowledgment of inequities that exist during access to healthcare by an individual or the population at large (CNA, 2009).

Conclusion
Social justice is a nursing concern because given their numbers and knowledge, nurses are in a good position in seeking solutions that address social problems because they are ideally capable to take both collective and individual action. Social justice is a means to an end and an end to itself because it is vital for both population and individual health that also includes the health of the nursing professionals as well, and the health care system in general. This is the major reason why nurses in Canada and the world at large have been called to urgently promote social justice.

Social justice should be upheld by everyone to ensure that every person can access it. The implementation and adoption of Codes of Ethics will not only enhance how patients are treated but will also lead to improved healthcare as a result of the respect between healthcare providers and their clients. Read More