Provision 1
The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.
1.3 The Nature of Health
Health is a universal right and the need for it transcends all individual differences. The worth of a person is not affected by life choices or circumstances, illness, ability, socioeconomic status, functional status, or proximity to death. Nursing care is shaped by unique patient preferences, needs, values, and choices. Respect is extended to all who require and receive nursing care in the promotion of health, prevention of illness and injury, restoration of health, alleviation of pain and suffering, or provision of supportive care.
Optimal nursing care enables recipients to live with as much physical, emotional, social, religious, and/or spiritual well-being as possible, aligning with their preferences, values, and determination of quality of life. Nurses lead the implementation of responsible and appropriate evidence-based interventions across the lifespan to optimize the health and well-being of those in their care. When a recipient of care no longer sees a proportional benefit from the burdens of interventions, nurses are attentive and practice shared decision-making to arrive at medically achievable goals that reflect patient values. All human beings should have access to what they recognize as a good quality of life, which is subjective. Nurses appreciate that what is right for one person may not be right for another. The nurse balances respect for values with harm mitigation and recognizes that every decision for each person is unique and situational.