Reactions of Nursing Students When Faced With Violations of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics

A qualitative study was conducted with 10 nursing students to evaluate how students respond to breaches of standards of practice by clinical nurses. Statements were identified and analyzed with Colaizzi's method. Three main themes emerged: 1) Violations of the ANA Code of Ethics were witnessed by students (handling medications/equipment incorrectly, failing to comply with infection control, violating patient privacy). 2) Students were upset and felt they should have responded differently when witnessing a violation. 3) Students need preparation on how to react to violations of practice, with proper enforcement of practice within the clinical.