Code of Nursing Ethics

• Under the Philippine Nursing Act, the Board of Nursing is vested with authority to study the conditions affecting the practice of nursing in the Philippines and to exercise powers necessary to insure the maintenance of efficient ethical standard in the practice of nursing, taking into consideration the health needs of the nation
• By necessary implication from this authority and its power to promulgate such rules and regulations may be necessary to carry out the provisions of the Nursing Act, the board has likewise the power to adopt a code of nursing ethics for the guidance of registered nurses in the Philippines in the observance of ethical principles that should govern their nursing practice, conduct and professional relationships
• the professional code of ethics for Filipino nurses provides direction for the nurses to act morally
• strongly emphasizes the four-fold responsibility of nurse, the universality of the nursing practice, the scope of their responsibility to the people they serve, to their coworkers, to society and environment, and to their profession
• prior to 1984, the Code of Ethics used by Filipino nurses was the code promulgated by the International Council of Nurses
• in 1982, the Philippine Nurses Association Special Committee, under the chairmanship of Dean Emeritus Julita V. Sotejo, developed Code of Ethics for Filipino nurses
• the 1982 Proceedings of the Third Annual Convention of the PNA House of Delegates (HOD), published in October 1983, contains a detailed transcript of discussion and eventual unanimous approval of the PNA Code of Ethics for Filipino Nurses
• in 1984, the Board of Nursing, Professional Regulations Commission adopted the Code of Ethics of the International Council for Nurses through Board Resolution No. 633 dated March 21, 1984 adding "promotion of spiritual environment" as the fifth-fold responsibility of the nurse and was enforced in 1989
• in 1989, the Code of Ethics promulgated by the Philippine Nurses Association was approved by the Professional Regulations Commission and though Board Resolution No. 1955 was recommended for use and was approved by the general assembly of the Philippine Nurses Association during the Nurses Week Convention in October 25, 1990
• Pursuant to Section 3 of Republic Act No. 877, known as Philippine Nursing Law, and Section 6 of Presidential Decree 223, the amended Code of Ethics for Nurses recommended and endorsed by the Philippine Nurses Association was adopted to govern the practice of nursing in the Philippines
• A new Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses has been promulgated by the Board of Nursing, in coordination  and in consultation with the Accredited Professional Organization (PNA); in its formulation, the Code of Good Governance for the Professions was adopted and integrated, as they apply to the Nursing Profession
• After consultation on October 23, 2003 at Iloilo City with the accredited professional organization of registered nurses, the PNA, and other affiliated organizations of registered nurses, the Code was adopted under Republic Act 9173 and promulgated by the Board of Nursing under Resolution No. 220 Series of 2004 last July 14, 2004