Code of Nursing Practices

Standards of care or standards of practice in nursing are general guidelines that provide a foundation as to how a nurse should act and what he or she should and should not do in his or her professional capacity. Deviating from this standard can result in certain legal implications.

Standards of care in nursing are important because they recognize the trusted role that a nurse plays. These standards are considered the baseline for quality nursing care. Nursing standards of care are important for a number of reasons. They outline professional expectation of nurses. Additionally, they guide nurses on proper protocol and give them an objective standard to evaluate other nurses with. Additionally, they provide consistency throughout the profession so that patients receive quality care. Ultimately, standards give nurses the necessary information that they need to know the quality care that they must provide to patients and establish measures in which to evaluate the care provided.