Preamble

1. Nurses and Midwives are professionals dedicated to those who require care and assistance regarding their health needs. The aim of this care is to promote health, to prevent illness and to alleviate suffering.

2. Scientific and technological developments have placed Nurses and Midwives in new situations in everyday health care practice. As members of a multi-disciplinary team they share responsibilities with others. As a body of professional people they have a duty and a right to participate in the defining and application of legislation relative to health, so as to ensure the best service to the community in a social context where diverse cultures and societies exist. This new situation calls for an explicit acknowledgement of the fundamental moral values on which the profession rests. These values are here presented as the moral criteria with which to guide professional behaviour and judgement in the form of ethical principles and guidelines.

3. Ethical principles and guidelines by their nature are of general character. Their appropriate application in concrete situations depends on the integrity of personal conscience expressed in sound, well-informed judgements and decisions one is constantly called to make.

4. We understand that our basic professional aims, commitments and ethical standards, inherent in the implementation of good nursing practice, are of universal significance and so shared with all our colleagues of whatever culture or religion. We seek in our nursing practice to benefit the integral well-being of everyone.

5. As Christian Healthcare Professionals we also seek to reflect the care of Christ for the sick and his understanding of the human being as a child of God. The solidarity of Christ with the sick and suffering is such that He identifies with them in a particular manner in His actions, sentiments, words and teaching:

“I was sick and you visited me".

(Mathew 25:36)

6. We know that not all human suffering and impairment is physical. For this reason our role as professionals to listen and affirm those under our care is integral to our practice and never to be undervalued.

7. We acknowledge that becoming professionally qualified Nurses and Midwives demands of us the process of ongoing education, not only to develop our own personal professional growth, but also to raise the cultural, moral and social standards of the profession for the well-being of those who need our care.