Duty of care: legal, ethical and professional issues for nurses

What ‘duty of care’ means for nurses in relation to the law, strike days, off-duty emergencies and day-to-day patient care

‘Duty of care’ refers to a person’s obligation to act toward others in a certain way and in accordance with certain standards, says the RCN .

For nurses, the concept of duty of care includes legal, ethical and professional duties.

Is duty of care set out by the nursing regulator?

Yes, but indirectly. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) does not make explicit mention of a ‘duty of care’ in its Code of professional standards for nurses , but it is implied in the ‘prioritise people’ section.

This says that nurses