The General Council of Nursing (CGE), through its Higher Institute of Health Training (ISFOS), has launched a free online continuing education course aimed at nurses, focused on "Deontology as a requirement of professional excellence". This initiative makes it possible to update knowledge in professional ethics and reinforce preparation for the conflicts that arise in daily practice.
According to the organization, the main purpose is "to reinforce ethical and deontological knowledge, and to provide the tools to deal with greater confidence with the dilemmas that arise in the daily exercise of the profession". The training program is designed so that professionals can integrate these contents into their daily care activity.
The online course, taught by the National Deontological Commission of Nursing of the CGE, offers a detailed review of the new Ethical and Deontological Code of the Spanish Nurse, renewed in 2026, and addresses the most common ethical conflicts in professional practice. It will run from November 3 to December 3, will have a total duration of 25 hours, and is intended for all nurses registered in Spain.
From the CGE they emphasize that "Deontology constitutes a fundamental pillar of nursing practice, as it guides professional decisions, protects the rights of the people cared for and helps guarantee safe, responsible care that respects the dignity and autonomy of people", and they recall that the review of the Ethical and Deontological Code of the Spanish Nurse in 2026 makes it "especially relevant" to know its principles and apply them in the different situations that arise day to day.
In this same line, Pilar Fernández, director of ISFOS, points out that "Professional excellence does not depend solely on scientific and technical knowledge. It also requires knowing how to act in complex situations, make responsible decisions and always place the dignity, rights and well-being of people at the center. With this course we want to provide nurses with practical tools to face those challenges with greater confidence and security", stressing the need to offer specific training that makes it easier to transfer ethical principles to clinical practice.
Among the key contents of the program is the analysis of situations that generate ethical and deontological doubts in care, such as the use of physical restraints, access to the medical record and confidentiality guarantees, the informed consent process and its application in minors, the use of digital skills and social networks in the professional field, care at the beginning and end of life, as well as the exercise of conscientious objection by nurses.