The oath of nursing was first created in 1893 to honor ethical rules. Nurses take this pledge to care for patients, alleviate suffering, respect patient privacy, and maintain professional knowledge and skills. The nursing oath is similar to the doctor’s Hippocratic Oath. It is recited at nursing graduation ceremonies.
The pledge defines nursing responsibilities. It helps articulate the range of nursing duties. The first principle is nonmaleficence or "do no harm", tied to protecting patient safety. Nurses also follow principles of justice, fidelity, accountability, autonomy, and veracity.
Evolution and Controversies
The modern Nightingale Pledge is named after the founder of modern nursing. In it, nurses pledge to serve humanity, practice with conscience and dignity, and uphold the honor of the profession. Some suggest rewriting it without references to purity or God. Others question whether such oaths are meaningful compared to fulfilling fundamental patient care duties. In the end, there’s no right answer as to whether all nurses should take an oath. While admirable, ideology may not always take precedence over patient obligations. Professional nursing organizations offer ethical codes that can alternatively guide nurses.