What does the American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics state regarding self-care?

What does the American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics state regarding self-care?

• A. Nurses should meditate daily.
• B. Nurses must attend ethics committee meetings.
• C. Nurses are encouraged but not required to care for themselves.
• D. Nurses have a duty to take care of themselves, preserve competence, protect dignity, and continue personal and professional growth.

Answer: (D)

Self-care is treated as an ethical obligation for nurses. The Code of Ethics states that the nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including preserving integrity, maintaining competence, and continuing personal and professional growth. This framing means taking care of one’s own health and well-being is not optional—it’s part of providing safe, high-quality care. When nurses attend to self-care, they’re better prepared to protect patients, uphold dignity, and stay competent over the course of their careers. That’s why this answer stands out: it captures the duty to look after oneself, preserve competence, protect dignity, and pursue ongoing growth. Other options suggest self-care is optional, overly prescriptive (like a daily meditation), or unrelated (ethics committee attendance), which don’t align with the Code’s language about the nurse’s duties to self.

Self-care is treated as an ethical obligation for nurses. The Code of Ethics states that the nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including preserving integrity, maintaining competence, and continuing personal and professional growth. This framing means taking care of one’s own health and well-being is not optional—it’s part of providing safe, high-quality care. When nurses attend to self-care, they’re better prepared to protect patients, uphold dignity, and stay competent over the course of their careers.

That’s why this answer stands out: it captures the duty to look after oneself, preserve competence, protect dignity, and pursue ongoing growth. Other options suggest self-care is optional, overly prescriptive (like a daily meditation), or unrelated (ethics committee attendance), which don’t align with the Code’s language about the nurse’s duties to self.