By Avery Newmark, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

False information about COVID-19 masking, vaccines and medications continues to spread, and health care providers are contributing to the confusion.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing and several other leading nursing organizations issued a policy brief this week to address the inaccuracies and falsehoods being disseminated about COVID-19 by members of the health care field.

The organizations hope to educate and inform nurses about the importance of upholding the highest ethical standards and being held accountable for the information they provide to the public.

“Misinformation, which is not grounded in science and is not supported by the CDC and FDA, can lead to illness, possibly death, and may prolong the pandemic,” the organizations wrote in the brief. “It is an expectation of the U.S. boards of nursing, the profession, and the public that nurses uphold the truth, the principles of the Code of Ethics for Nurses and the highest scientific standards when disseminating information about COVID-19 or any other health-related condition or situation.”

The brief concludes by stating, “Nurses are urged to recognize that dissemination of misinformation not only jeopardizes the health and well-being of the public but may place their license and career in jeopardy as well.”