Final answer:
The CNO standard of ethics identifies 'competence' as one of the ethical values, which encompasses a nurse's ongoing commitment to professional skills and knowledge to ensure quality patient care.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the CNO (College of Nurses of Ontario) standard; ethics, one of the ethical values is competence. Competence in nursing refers to the nurse’s ability to understand and integrate the central concepts of the profession while maintaining the skills and knowledge necessary to provide quality care to patients. Nurses are expected to pursue lifelong learning to maintain and enhance their professional competence. Care ethics advocate that in situations often encountered in the health professions like medicine and nursing, individuals should exhibit attributes such as compassion, sympathy, and a readiness to take responsibility. These qualities are fundamental, as they guide professionals to rely on values of care when resolving conflicts. By contrast, other ethical frameworks might approach ethical dilemmas differently. For example, consequentialism would assess the morality of an action by its outcomes, and Confucianism emphasizes the cultivation of personal virtue as a means to social harmony.