After a decade, the new ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses arrives as the nursing profession is projecting a shortfall of over 100,000 registered nurses by 2038, with burnout affecting approximately one-third of nurses, and growing demands on their attention and resources. Ongoing federal legislative efforts addressing nurse-to-patient ratios and workplace safety, the rise of artificial intelligence in clinical practice, and documentation burdens that consume up to one-third of nursing shifts all underscore the urgent need for ethical guidance rooted in the profession’s commitment to human dignity, justice, and compassionate care.
In this episode of SEE YOU NOW, guest host Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, RN, and Kara Curry, MA, RN, HEC-C, two of the six co-chairs behind the revision, explain how 49 nurses from diverse practice settings spent over 600 hours building a shared ethical framework for millions of nurses worldwide. The Code is not a rulebook or a checklist; it is a relational map that defines what nursing stands for and provides guidance for navigating complex moral decisions.
The episode also features three nurses who embody the Code in practice: Kelley Lazor, BSN, RN, PCCN, CNIII, a nurse leader on a transplant unit who creates environments where ethical practice is supported, Talia Neves, BSN, RN, COHC, who moves from pediatric psychiatry to street medicine to policy advocacy, and Shika Kalevor, MBE BSN RN HEC-C, a clinical ethicist whose work on everyday ethics demonstrates how ethical considerations permeate every aspect of nursing care. Together, they show us what it means to practice nursing with integrity, compassion, and courage in an uncertain world.