Which statement correctly describes how the ANA defines ethics?

• A. The ANA defines scope of practice and Code of Ethics
• B. The ANA defines only hospital policies
• C. The ANA defines patient billing methods
• D. The ANA defines physician credentialing

Answer: (A)

Ethics in nursing centers on the professional duties and values that guide how nurses care for patients and interact with others. The ANA articulates this through two main resources: the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements and the Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. The Code sets the ethical obligations nurses have to patients, families, colleagues, and society—things like advocating for patients, maintaining confidentiality, and practicing with accountability. The scope and standards define the boundaries and expectations of what nurses are permitted and competent to do in their practice. Together, they describe what ethical nursing practice looks like in real-world care.

Hospital policies, patient billing methods, and physician credentialing aren’t definitions of nursing ethics; they’re internal rules or administrative processes that fall outside the ethical framework the ANA provides for nursing practice.