Professional codes: an exercise in tokenism

Abstract

The paper questions the effectiveness of the United Kingdom Central Council's (UKCC's) Code of Professional Conduct upon the moral climate of nursing. It challenges the claim that the empowerment of nurses is significantly enhanced by the Code or that it necessarily makes them more accountable for their practice. The position is taken that the Code, in the absence of an effective support network for whistle-blowers, places an unreasonable burden upon nurses in its exhortations to report unprofessional conduct. The paper acknowledges the need to retain the Code, but with more modest claims being made concerning its empowering qualities. It is argued that unless more attention is focused on ways to support potential whistle-blowers, the Code will come to be seen as an irrelevance.Cet article met en question l'effet du Code du UKCC sur le climat moral des soins infirmiers. Il conteste l'affirmation que les infirmiers/eres sont considerablement plus fort a cause du Code ou qu'il les rend plus responsables dan...