Legal and ethical frameworks in nursing. Safe practice: Professional, Legal and Ethical issues 2022-11-15

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In the field of nursing, legal and ethical frameworks play a crucial role in shaping the way that nurses practice and interact with their patients. These frameworks provide the guidelines and principles that nurses must follow in order to ensure that they are providing the highest standard of care to their patients, while also adhering to the laws and regulations that govern the healthcare industry.

One of the most important legal frameworks in nursing is informed consent. This requires that nurses obtain the consent of their patients before performing any procedures or treatments. This means that nurses must ensure that their patients are fully informed of the potential risks, benefits, and alternatives to a particular treatment or procedure, and that they are able to make an informed decision about their care. Informed consent is a fundamental principle of medical ethics, and it is essential for protecting the autonomy and dignity of patients.

Another important legal framework in nursing is confidentiality. Nurses are required to keep patient information private and secure, and to only disclose it when necessary for the provision of care or when required by law. This means that nurses must be careful about who they share patient information with, and must ensure that they are only sharing it with individuals who have a legitimate need to know. Confidentiality is critical for maintaining the trust and respect of patients, and for protecting their privacy.

In addition to these legal frameworks, there are also several ethical frameworks that guide the practice of nursing. One of these is the principle of non-maleficence, which requires that nurses do no harm to their patients. This means that nurses must take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their patients, and must prioritize the well-being of their patients above all else.

Another important ethical principle in nursing is beneficence, which requires that nurses do good for their patients. This means that nurses must work to promote the health and well-being of their patients, and must take actions that are in the best interests of their patients.

Finally, there is the principle of autonomy, which requires that nurses respect the autonomy and self-determination of their patients. This means that nurses must respect the decisions and choices of their patients, and must support them in making their own decisions about their care.

In conclusion, legal and ethical frameworks play a critical role in the practice of nursing. These frameworks provide the guidelines and principles that nurses must follow in order to ensure that they are providing the highest standard of care to their patients, while also adhering to the laws and regulations that govern the healthcare industry. By following these frameworks, nurses can ensure that they are providing the best possible care to their patients, while also upholding the values and standards of the nursing profession.

Ethical Decision Making in Nursing

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

Under the principle of nonmaleficence, nurses are required to protect patients from harm. Nurses are accountable for their own practice and should make the interest of their patients their first concern. The three main principles this essay will discuss are accountability, informed consent and dignity. Justice Nurses are responsible for ensuring that healthcare benefits and burdens are distributed fairly throughout the population. What Are The Consequences Of Lack Of Beneficence In Nursing Research? Stennett could have conducted the in-service and expected administration or state surveyors to take her word that the staff was aware of policy changes, she understands the importance of being accountable for her own work.

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What is the Nursing Code of Ethics?

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

The nurse must find a way to balance autonomy and beneficence by facilitating open communication, educating the patient, and finding ways to manage care that satisfies the patient and goes along with standards of ethical practices. He explains that if the patient is competent to make decisions, it is the nurse's job to be loyal and supportive and to continue providing competent, efficient care. The nursing profession must remain committed to patient care while defending the right of patients to identify their own needs and cultural norms. He presented his request and made a cordial argument as to how the updates could be a positive change for the hospital. The employer must ensure that: As a nurse, it is inherent that accountability for all aspects of care is consistent with responsible decision-making. The lack of principles of ethics in nursing, especially nonmaleficence, can carry dire consequences in nursing research. Nurse Hillman then schedules one-on-one interviews with each of the remaining applicants to determine those who best meet the criteria for the study.

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Nursing Ethics: Ethical Decision

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

Beneficence requires the nurse researcher to weigh the balance of potential risks and benefits and make judgment calls about beginning, continuing, or stopping research based on that assessment. Williams is a nurse educator working at a local university school of nursing. Nurse Kristy assigned additional nurses to work triage to determine which patients require immediate care. The most significant recent change was in 2015 when 9 interpretative statements or provisions were added to the code of ethics to help guide nursing practice in a more definitive way. Dignity is a fundamental human right and should be a top priority in all care activities. Nurses should have the best interest of patients in mind, understanding that they need to protect their privacy and medical data. One ethical dilemma that can occur in healthcare facilities is when nurses themselves are not properly equipped to complete their duties.

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Law and Ethics in Nursing

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

For Example: Nurse Mark works in a small community hospital and is the nurse leader in the surgical unit. Nurse Holyfield then schedules interviews with the top prospects from the applicant pool. Beneficence is vital to effective nursing practice. Copy to Clipboard Reference Copied to Clipboard. Due to rapid advances in medical practices and technologies, nurses and other healthcare professionals often face the challenge making decisions where lawmakers and the court have not established laws for new procedures and practices.

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Safe practice: Professional, Legal and Ethical issues

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

If nurse leaders lack nonmaleficence in their practices, it can cause severe issues and dire consequences. In some cases, this support will help the patient, in other cases, such as when there is significant conflict in the relationship; the contact might do more harm than good. He also states that some serious side effects are associated with the medication. If researchers use participants because of their ease of access instead of carefully considering each applicant and choosing the most appropriate, it could raise questions as to the validity of the participant pool. Being Responsible for Decisions That Result in Suboptimal Care Nurses make decisions based on the information available to them in the current situation. However, no matter how beneficial research is to society, it should never be more important than the safety of patients and participants. She has provided a diet list for improvement of health, which Murray has not followed.

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Professional, ethical and legal principles of Nursing

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

Their responsibility to promote health and safety extends beyond the workplace to their homes and other settings. The policies which will be explored are confidentiality, informed consent and autonomy. It is the research principle concerned with building trusting relationships between nurse researchers and research participants. Get Help With Your Nursing Essay If you need assistance with writing your nursing essay, our professional nursing essay writing service is here to help! The guidelines are divided into nine provisions that cover topics that include human dignity, confidentiality, moral virtue and healthcare as a right. Nursing managers can also provide regular training to their nurses on recurring issues. It has required various matters such as the acquaintance, admiration for and sensitivity in the direction of the cultural needs of the public, the understanding and acknowledging the economic, social, cultural and behavioral factors, which help to underpin such health of the individual at a community level Bainbridge et al. Ignorance of a law will not be accepted as an excuse to violate that law.

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Ethical and Legal Frameworks in Nursing

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

Nurse educators are instrumental in helping students learn this. Nurses are highly accountable to patients, the public, employers, and the entire profession. In light of this it will be the underpinning theme referred to throughout this assignment with specific reference being made to the issue of what ethical and legal frameworks could be utilised to support the clinical decision to covertly administer medication; as the gentleman in question had a severe dementia. If consent has been obtained from the patient then the healthcare professional does have protection to avoid any legal penalty Dimond, 2008. Discussions held with family members by the ward sister identified it was only within recent months that the patients adherence to medication had become an issue this ran parallel with the decline in the patients dementia and subsequent mental capacity issues , the inference and evidence would suggest that the patients choices had deviated from his previous behavior and life plan.

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Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing Explained

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

The Framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 became legally operational in October 2007 and since this time the principles have been mandatorily adopted into health care. Further, staff nurses often mimic the behavior of their leaders. Here are a few possible consequences of lack of accountability in nursing research. What Is An Example Of How Autonomy Is Applied In Nursing Practice? Nurse leaders must implement measures to promote the safety and well-being of nurses to reduce the risk of harm and should never intentionally cause harm to another. However, if circumstances are beyond your control, you can still uphold fidelity by notifying you're the person of your situation.

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Nursing Ethics: 4 Main Ethical Principles in Nursing

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

In a democratic society, the legal system provides a framework in which all parts of the community interact. A key element of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is for there to be an understanding that individuals who have capacity have the legal right to make unwise decisions or decisions that may go against the opinion of the healthcare professional; an example of this could be the patient who is deemed to have capacity and discharges themselves against medical advice or the patient with capacity who refuses to take their prescribed medication as they do not wish to experience the side effects. For example, if the nurse promises to follow up or check on a patient and they are suddenly transferred to another department unless proper follow-through occurs, the patient can feel neglected. Whether they establish class schedules, assign clinical rotations, or arrange for continuing education classes for staff at healthcare facilities, applying autonomy in nursing education is essential. Instead, Nurse Victoria assessed the situation as a whole and made the appropriate judgment call.

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Ethical and legal duties of confidentiality

legal and ethical frameworks in nursing

Lack of dignity in care can leave patients desperate or embarrassed and cause unnecessary suffering. For example: Nurse Brown is working on a nursing research project involving four participants. For Example: Nurse Brister is the primary nurse leader for a large outpatient clinic located within the university hospital. There are three main types of nurse educators: Instructional nurse faculty teach nursing students in academic settings such as colleges or universities. It is imperative they have a sound understanding of various ethical, legal and professional issues they will face during their careers.

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