2002 CNA Code of Ethics: some recommendations

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) recently revised its 1997 Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses to reflect the context within which nurses practise today. Given the unprecedented changes that have taken place within the profession, healthcare and society, it was timely for the CNA to review and revise its Code. But the revisions were relatively minor; important problematic, substantive aspects of the Code were essentially left untouched and persist in the updated 2002 Code. In this paper, three of those aspects are examined and discussed: the 2002 Code's (a) definition of health and well-being, (b) notion of respect and (c) conception of justice. Recommendations are made. It is hoped that these comments will encourage nurse leaders in Canada to initiate discussion of the Code now, in preparation for its next planned revision in 2007.