Provision 5
The nurse has moral duties to self as a person of inherent dignity and worth including an expectation of a safe place to work that fosters flourishing, authenticity of self at work, and self-respect through integrity and professional competence.
5.1 Personal Health and Safety
Nurses have a duty to take care of their own health and safety. Nurses define health, determine level of risk tolerance, and determine work-life balance for themselves. A nurse’s professional performance and personal life may be affected by the extraordinary demands of care, and may result in fatigue, weathering, or even burnout. Nurses must be alert to the signs and symptoms that their own health and well-being have been negatively affected.
Health and safety of nurses and patients are intertwined. There is no ethical expectation nor obligation inherent in the nurse’s duty to care that requires nurses to unreasonably sacrifice or trade their own safety or health for the benefit of others. Nurses need a safe work environment and supportive working conditions. Nurses must be treated with respect and need never tolerate verbal and other forms of abuse by patients, family members, or coworkers. Nurses must also consider effects that are detrimental to mental health, paying specific attention to the experience of psychological stress that results in or exacerbates negative psychological effects such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, or suicidal ideation. Nurses should seek remedies that best address their individual situations and personal needs.