Applying the ANA Code of Ethics in Nursing Assessment 1

NURS-FPX4000: Developing a Nursing Perspective

Effective professional identity in nursing requires more than clinical competency; it demands rigorous alignment with ethical frameworks and academic integrity. By synthesising the American Nurses Association standards with institutional academic policies, students establish a foundation for evidence-based advocacy, leadership, and accountable practice. This initial assessment functions as a gatekeeping milestone for professional socialisation, ensuring that learners can navigate complex healthcare environments while maintaining high standards of scholarly honesty. According to the American Nurses Association (2025), the nursing profession’s commitment to the patient is inseparable from the nurse’s obligation to uphold personal and professional integrity through continuous self-reflection and adherence to established ethical codes.

Assessment 1: Professional Integrity and Ethical Perspectives Brief

Course Overview

NURS-FPX4000: Developing a Nursing Perspective is the foundational course in the RN-to-BSN FlexPath program. It is designed to bridge the gap between clinical practice and baccalaureate-level scholarly inquiry. This assessment focuses on the intersection of professional ethics, academic integrity, and the formation of a professional nursing identity within contemporary healthcare systems.

Students are expected to demonstrate critical thinking, structured academic writing, and the ability to integrate peer-reviewed literature consistent with Level 6 or Level 7 university standards in Australia or the United Kingdom.

Task Summary

You are required to develop a formal position paper of 825 to 1,050 words that analyses the role of ethical principles in professional nursing practice and explicitly commits to a standard of academic integrity.

The paper must:

• Present a clearly articulated thesis statement.

• Analyse a specific ethical dilemma drawn from your current practice or from a provided case study.

• Apply the four pillars of bioethics:

  • Autonomy

  • Beneficence

  • Non-maleficence

  • Justice

• Demonstrate logical argument development supported by contemporary scholarly evidence.

• Conclude with a reflective synthesis that links ethical reasoning to professional identity development.

Arguments must move beyond description and demonstrate evaluation, comparison of perspectives, and justification of your position.

Assessment Requirements

Academic Integrity Declaration

Incorporate a signed Pledge of Academic Honesty as a preface to your paper. The pledge must:

• Demonstrate understanding of University Policy 3.01.01 regarding plagiarism, collusion, and contract cheating.

• Acknowledge appropriate paraphrasing, citation, and referencing practices under APA 7th edition.

• Affirm that all submitted work is original and accurately referenced.

The declaration should reflect insight into the ethical dimensions of academic misconduct and its implications for professional nursing credibility.

Ethical Framework Application

Select a contemporary healthcare issue, such as:

• Vaccine hesitancy

• Resource allocation

• End-of-life decision-making

• Digital confidentiality and social media use in nursing

Analyse the issue using:

• The ANA Code of Ethics (2025 edition)

• The four principles of bioethics

• Relevant nursing theory or professional identity models

Your discussion should:

• Identify competing ethical tensions.

• Weigh potential consequences for patients, families, and healthcare systems.

• Demonstrate how ethical reasoning informs professional judgement rather than personal opinion.

Professional Identity Reflection

Discuss how baccalaureate education transforms your perspective from a task-oriented nurse to a system-oriented professional leader.

Your reflection should address:

• Leadership and advocacy responsibilities.

• Systems thinking and policy awareness.

• Ethical accountability within interprofessional teams.

• The integration of research evidence into decision-making.

Link your reflection explicitly to recognised professional standards and competency frameworks.

Evidence Integration

Support your analysis with at least three peer-reviewed scholarly sources published within the last five years. Sources must be drawn from reputable nursing or healthcare ethics journals.

Evidence must be:

• Integrated analytically rather than appended descriptively.

• Used to compare viewpoints, identify gaps, or justify ethical reasoning.

• Correctly cited in APA 7th edition format.

Submission Guidelines

• Format: Microsoft Word document

• Style: APA 7th Edition, Professional version

• Length: 3 to 4 pages excluding title page, pledge, and reference list

• Referencing: Minimum of 3 to 5 scholarly sources

Ensure consistent formatting, page numbering, double spacing, 12-point readable font, and accurate in-text citation formatting.

Scoring Rubric

Recent scholarship emphasises that professional identity formation is inseparable from ethical reasoning and adherence to professional codes. Numminen et al. (2024) demonstrate that the ANA Code functions not only as a regulatory document but also as a developmental framework for nurse identity formation. Similarly, Sun et al. (2025) highlight the influence of structured ethical frameworks on clinical decision-making competence. Global comparisons of nursing codes further indicate that aspirational ethics shape professional accountability and moral agency (Kim & Choi, 2025). Contemporary literature also connects academic integrity with professional credibility in nursing education, reinforcing the alignment between scholarly conduct and patient trust (Tracy, 2025).

Professional identity is increasingly conceptualised as a dynamic construct shaped by education, ethical standards, and leadership expectations (Pullen & Schroeder, 2022; Russell & Bodine, 2026). Furthermore, research on moral courage underscores the importance of ethical consistency between academic preparation and clinical conduct (Mollaei et al., 2025). Together, these works affirm that integrity in scholarship is foundational to integrity in practice.

The development of professional nursing identity is closely linked to ethical literacy and structured engagement with professional codes. Contemporary analyses suggest that systematic exposure to ethical reasoning models enhances nurses’ capacity for moral courage and advocacy within complex healthcare systems (Numminen et al., 2024). In this context, adherence to academic integrity policies mirrors clinical ethical accountability, reinforcing the coherence between educational standards and professional practice. Such alignment ensures that scholarly competence and ethical judgement evolve concurrently, thereby strengthening both patient outcomes and public trust in the profession.

Learning Materials and Bibliography

American Nurses Association. (2025). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. https://www.nursingworld.org/coe-view-only

Haddad, A. M., & Geiger, J. S. (2023). Nursing ethics: Across the curriculum and into practice (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102011

Stievano, A., & Tschudin, V. (2024). The future of nursing: Global health, ethics, and policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003315624

Trautman, K., & Idzik, S. (2025). Leadership and advocacy: The baccalaureate nurse’s role in modern healthcare systems. Journal of Nursing Education, 64(2), 88–95. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20250115-04

Numminen, O., Kallio, H., Leino-Kilpi, H., & Stokes, L. (2024). Use and impact of the ANA Code: A scoping review. Nursing Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330241230522

Sun, M., Jin, X., & Wang, Z. (2025). Factors influencing ethical decision-making in nursing: A mixed-methods systematic review. Nursing Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330251374398

Kim, M. J., & Choi, J. (2025). Global comparison of codes of ethics for nurses: A mixed-method collective case study differentiating aspirational and mandatory ethics. Journal of Clinical Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.17557

Mollaei, M., Metanat, F., Javazm, A. R., & Motie, M. (2025). Exploring the foundations and influences of nurses’ moral courage: A scoping review. BMC Medical Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-025-01205-5

Pullen, R. L., & Schroeder, R. M. (2022). Transforming nursing with professional identity. Nursing Management.

Russell, J. A., & Bodine, J. (2026). Strengthening professional identity: The critical role of preceptors in shaping the next generation of nurses. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development.

Tracy, A. (2025). Nursing faculty’s experiences with managing academic integrity in prelicensure nursing education (Doctoral dissertation). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.