Compendium of Codes of Ethics for Health Care Professionals – and Why They Matter

The Oath of Hippocrates, written during the fifth century BCE, incorporated universal virtues and values to support the moral development of physicians and to affirm their steadfast commitment to the welfare of patients. These ideals were integrated into a scaffolding of both art and science that continues to guide the practice of medicine today. The original pledge has been revised and ultimately replaced with a living code of medical ethics that strives to adapt the same ideals to the contemporary health care practice environment.

With the advent of new health care disciplines came the need to establish individual ethical codes for their distinctive area of practice. For the most part, these codes share many of the same core values and ideals, but they also articulate nuances in their obligations and responsibilities that reflect a more focused scope of practice.

This collection of codes has been created to broaden our understanding of the similarities and unique differences that exist among the ethical obligations and responsibilities of health care professionals. In everyday practice, these additional insights could improve bedside collaboration and cooperation among interdisciplinary treatment teams caring for patients with complex multisystem illnesses. For a more expansive view, ethical codes could become part of a unifying platform to ensure that the values and ideals that have guided our mission are integrated into the next era of innovation which will include partnerships with experts in computer science, engineering and artificial intelligence.

General Medicine 

American College of Physicians Ethics Manual Seventh Edition 2019

American Medical Association Principles of Medical Ethics

American Medical Association Preface and Preamble

American Medical Association Chapters

American Medical Association Ethics Opinions

American Osteopathic Association Code of Ethics (2016)

Physician Specialties/Subspecialties

A

American Board of Allergy and Immunology Code of Ethics (2018)

American Society for Anesthesiologists Guidelines for the Ethical Practice of Anesthesiology (2020)

American Board of Anesthesiology: Anesthesiologists and Capital Punishment

C

American College of Cardiology Code of Ethics (2023)

American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery Code of Ethics

E

American College of Emergency Physicians Code of Ethics (2023)

Endocrine Society Code of Ethics (2013)

F

American Board of Family Medicine Guidelines for Professionalism and Personal Conduct (2022)

H

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Code of Ethics 2023

N

American Academy of Neurology Code of Professional Conduct (2021)

O

American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology Code of Ethics (2025)

American Society of Clinical Oncology: Evolving Landscape of Ethics in Oncology (2024)

The Society of Gynecologic Oncology Principles of Ethical Conduct and Practice

American Academy of Ophthalmology Code of Ethics (2025)

P

American Academy of Pediatrics Ethics/Bioethics Policy Collection

American Psychiatric Association Code of Ethics 2013

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Codes of Ethics, Principles and Guidelines

R

American College of Radiology: 2024-25 Bylaws and Code of Ethics

S

American Board of Surgery Code of Ethics and Professionalism (2024)

American Association of Neurological Surgeons Code of Ethics (2023)

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Code of Ethics and Professionalism (2011)

American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Code of Ethics (2019)

Society of Thoracic Surgeons Code of Ethics (2009)

Society for Vascular Surgery

Additional Health Care Professions, Disciplines and Certified Specialties

D

Dentistry

American Dental Association Code of Ethics (2024)

E

Ethics Consultants

American Society for Bioethics and Humanities: Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities for Healthcare Ethics Consultants (2014)

H

Healthcare Executives

American College of Healthcare Executives Code of Ethics (2024)

I

Medical Informatics

American Medical Informatics Association Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct (2022)

N

Nursing

American Nurses Association Code of Ethics Preface and Introduction (2025)

American Nurses Association: Code of Ethics for Nurses Provisions (2025)

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Code of Ethics (2018)

American College of Nurse Midwives Code of Ethics with Explanatory Statements (2015)

Nutrition and Dietetics

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Code of Ethics

P

Pharmacy

American Pharmacists Association Code of Ethics (1994)

Physician Assistant

American Academy of Physician Associates Guidelines of Ethical Conduct (2013)

Physical Therapy

American Physical Therapy Association: Code of Ethics (2020)

Psychology

American Psychological Association Code of Ethics: Ethical Principles of Ethics and Code of Conduct (2017)

Public Health

American Public Health Association Code of Ethics (2022)

S

Social Work

National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2021)

Speech-Language-Hearing

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Code of Ethics (2023)

Last updated: April 2025