Abstract
A code of ethics is the ethical principles or standards that an organisation adopts; therefore, it is a cornerstone of nursing globally. In South Africa, the code of ethics is governed by the South African Nursing Council. Nursing operational managers in public hospitals are tasked with the responsibility of practical implementation of the code of ethics for nurse practitioners.
The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of operational managers with the practical implementation of the code of ethics for nurse practitioners to develop recommendations to improve the practical implementation of the code of ethics. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research study design was employed following the constructivist paradigm. In-depth, phenomenological, individual interviews were conducted to collect data on operational managers in a specific hospital who consented to participate in the study and to use an audio recorder to record the data.
The study had two objectives. Objective one focused on exploring and describing the experiences of operational managers with the practical implementation of the code of ethics for nurse practitioners in a public hospital in Gauteng. Objective two focused on developing recommendations to improve the practical implementation of the code of ethics by operational managers in a public hospital in Gauteng. These recommendations were derived from the findings of objective one. This study was guided by the theoretical framework of Burns’s (1978) transformational leadership.
Data were analysed using Collaizzi’s seven steps of data analysis method. The findings were recontextualised in the literature. Ethical principles and strategies of trustworthiness were applied throughout the study to protect the participants’ rights and ensure that the study quality was maintained. The study revealed that operational managers experienced challenges when implementing a code of ethics in nursing practice. The researcher described recommendations to enhance the experiences of operational managers with the practical implementation of a code of ethics to address the challenges. The study evaluation, limitations, conclusion, and reflections are provided.