Page 100 - Human Rights

3.1 Nurses and professionalism.

The health professions, along with the legal profession, have one of the most highly developed

frameworks for self-regulation, sometimes referred to as “professionalism”.

Professionalism is a concept in harmony with the defense and promotion of human rights provided

that professional bodies and individual practitioners conform to the standards on which the “social
contract” is based.

Professional bodies, as freestanding and self-regulating associations and councils, have a duty to

ensure that their standards are compatible with, and advance respect for, human rights.

It is difficult to conceive of a reputable body of health professional ethics that would conflict with
the basic values set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with the international

instruments which derive from this Declaration.

The professionalism of nurses has been defined in terms of what they do, what they aspire to,

what qualifications they have and how they relate to other health professionals, particularly
doctors.

Nursing and midwifery are overwhelmingly “feminized” disciplines (though mental health, acute

nursing and military nursing can attract a higher proportion of male nurses).

It is widely recognized that significant and discriminatory differentials in pay and conditions exist
between male and female employees in most countries, even where labor laws include measures

to address such discrimination.

This is of concern to nurses, but apart from pay, issues such as relations with other health care

providers, allocation of tasks, working hours, leave arrangements (particularly with respect to
parenting obligations), opportunities for training and promotion, and personal security are likely

to have a gender dimension.

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