Appendix Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidance on professional conduct for nursing and midwifery students (2009)
Your conduct as a nursing or midwifery student is based on the four core principles set out in the code:
1. Make the care of people your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity.
2. Work with others to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of those in your care, their families and carers, and the wider community.
3. Provide a high standard of practice and care at all times.
4. Be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of your profession.
1. Treat people as individuals and respect their dignity.
2. Be polite, kind, caring and compassionate.
3. Not discriminate in any way against those for whom you provide care.
4. Recognise diversity and respect the cultural differences,values and beliefs of others, including the people you care for and other members of staff.
5. Respect a person's right to confidentiality.
6. Not disclose information to anyone who is not entitled to it.
7. Seek advice from your mentor or tutor before disclosing information if you believe someone may be at risk of harm.
8. Follow the guidelines or policy on confidentiality as set out by your university and clinical placement provider.
9. Be aware of and follow the NMC guidelines on confidentiality (available from the NMC Website: http://www.nmc-uk.org).
10. Make anonymous any information included in your coursework or assessments that may directly or indirectly identify people, staff, relatives, carers or clinical placement providers.
11. Follow your university and clinical placement provider guidelines and policy on ethics when involved or participating in research.
12. Listen to people and respond to their concerns and preferences.
13. Support people in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health.
14. Give people information and advice, in a way they can understand, so they can make choices and decisions about their care.
15. Work in partnership with people, their families and carers.
19. Maintain clear professional boundaries in the relationships you have with others, especially with vulnerable adults and children.
20. Refuse any gifs, favours or hospitality that might be interpreted as an attempt to gain preferential treatment.
21. Not ask for or accept loans from anyone for whom you provide care or anyone close to them.
22. Maintain clear sexual boundaries at all times with the people for whom you provide care, their families and carers.
23. Be aware of and follow the NMC guidelines on maintaining clear sexual boundaries (available from the advice section on the NMC Website: http://www.nmc-uk.org).
24. Be aware of the roles and responsibilities of other people involved in providing health and social care.
25. Work co-operatively within teams and respect the skills, expertise and contributions from all people involved with your education.
26. Treat all colleagues, team members and those with whom you work and learn fairly and without discrimination.
27. Inform your mentor or tutor immediately if you believe that you, a colleague or anyone else may be putting someone at risk of harm.
28. Recognise and stay within the limits of your competence.
29. Work only under the appropriate supervision and support of a qualified professional and ask for help from your mentor or tutor when you need it.
30. Work with your mentor and tutor to monitor the quality of your work and maintain the safety of people for whom you provide care.
31. Seek help from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional, as soon as possible, if your performance or judgement is affected by your health.
32. Take responsibility for your own learning.
33. Follow the policy on attendance as set out by your university and clinical placement provider.
34. Follow the policy on submission of coursework and completion of clinical assessments as set out by your university and clinical placement provider.
35. Reflect on and respond constructively to feedback you are given.
36. Endeavour to provide care based on the best available evidence or best practice.
37. Ensure that you are familiar with and follow the record keeping guidance for nurses and midwives (available from the NMC Website: http://www.nmc-uk.org).
38. Ensure that you follow local policy on the recording, handling and storage of records.
39. Be honest and trustworthy when completing all records and logs of your practice experience.
40. Not plagiarise or falsify coursework or clinical assessments.
41. Ensure that you complete CVs and application forms truthfully and accurately.
42. Ensure that you are not influenced by any commercial incentives.
43. Demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to equality and diversity.
44. Abide by the laws of the country in which you are undertaking your programme and inform your university immediately if, during your programme, you are arrested or receive any caution or warning or similar sanction from the police.
45. Inform your university if you have been cautioned, charged or found guilty of a criminal offence at any time.
46. Ensure that you are familiar with and abide by the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of your university and clinical placement provider.
47. Abide by UK laws and the rules, regulation, policies and procedures of the university and clinical placement providers with regard to your use of the Internet and social networking sites.
48. Ensure that you are familiar with and follow NMC advice on the use of social networking sites (available from the NMC Website: http://www.nmc-uk.org).
49. Seek help and advice from a mentor or tutor when there is a need to protect people from harm.
50. Seek help immediately from an appropriately qualified professional if someone for whom you are providing care has suffered harm for any reason.
51. Seek help from your mentor or tutor if people indicate that they are unhappy about their care or treatment.
52. Follow the dress code or uniform policy of your university and clinical placement provider.
53. Be aware that your behaviour and conduct inside and outside of the university and clinical placement, including your personal life, may impact on your fitness to practise and ability to complete your programme.
54. Uphold the reputation of your chosen profession at all times