Nursing ethics serves as a guiding framework for nurses in navigating challenges that may arise among patients, families, and medical professionals during nursing practice. It also functions as a code of ethics, providing a set of moral principles to govern the conduct of nursing professionals. The emergence of bioethics in the 1970s, particularly in the United States, was a response to the changing meaning of life spurred by advancements in biotechnology. This movement aimed at systematic academic development and constructing new ethical guidelines.

Drawing from bioethics, four fundamental principles were delineated as concrete behavioral guidelines in the face of ethical conflicts within clinical medical situations: nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy. In the early 1980s, a notable ethical perspective, the ethics of care, gained prominence. Centered on interdependence and vulnerability, this perspective had a profound impact on the medical field, particularly in nursing, where the practice of care is central. It posits that the ethics of care is particularly pertinent to nursing ethics due to the unique ethical challenges encountered by nurses in contrast to those faced by physicians.

Presently, both the International Council of Nurses and the Japan Nursing Association have formulated ethical codes. The “ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses” (2005) and the “Code of Ethics for Nurses” (2003) outline the responsibilities and obligations of the nursing profession. They establish standards for ethical conduct, emphasizing principles such as respect for individuals under nursing care and the preservation of confidentiality.

• Chambliss, D. F. (2002). Beyond care: Moral and ethical contradictions faced by the nursing profession (Asano, Y., Trans.). Japanese Nursing Association Press.
• Fry, S. T., & Johnstone, M.-J. (2010). Ethics in nursing practice: A guide for ethical decision making (3rd ed.; Katada, N., & Yamamoto, A., Trans.). Japanese Nursing Association Publishing.
• Japanese Nursing Association. (2006). New edition: Basic responsibilities of nurses: Definitions and concepts, basic law, ethics. Japanese Nursing Association Publishing.
• Thompson, J. E., & Thompson, H. O. (2004). 10 steps for decision-making for nursing ethics (Kishi, K. I., Takeuchi, H., Yamamoto, C., et al., Trans.). Japanese Nursing Association Press.