Nur 391 Ethical And Legal Issues In Nursing Paper
Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing
NUR/391
Sharon Little-Stoetzel
February 17, 2013
Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing
Within the profession of Nursing there are many decisions and clinical vignettes that will play out. This paper will depict an end of life case study, which will be explored. When reviewing each case study there are two nursing actions for how end of life care is viewed and carried out, according to the American Association Code of Nursing Ethics. Throughout the ethics code it explains how a nurse who does not abide by the standards would be handled.
The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics states that respecting a patient at the end of life" extends to all …show more content…
There is also the responsibility of the nurse 's employer to report the case. If there are witnesses the obligation to report is vital. First protecting and providing safe care to the patient takes top priority. Other actions to take may include informing the loved ones or family of the patient. The next step is to continue the reporting of the incident up the chain of command starting with the nurse 's direct supervisor all the way to a legislative organization. During the chain of reporting when a link is broken it is the original nurse 's responsibility to report to the legislative organization if warranted. The American Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics states that "as a nurse the obligation is to the patient because nurses strive to resolve conflicts in the ways that ensure patient 's safety, guard the patient 's best interest and preserve the professional integrity of the nurse"((American Nurses Association (ANA, 2001, p. 10).
Personal and societal values can influence ethical decision making. Rassin wrote, "Values lie at the core of the diverse world of human behavior and are expressed in every human decision and action" (Rassin, 2008,pg …show more content…
The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) defines negligence as a, "Failure to use such care as a reasonably prudent and careful person would use under similar circumstances"(JCAHO, 2003) .The nurse 's main obligation is to uphold the Standards of Care for the patient. It is the nurse 's duty to have a relationship with a patient which involves providing care and following the acceptable standards of care (Kozier et al. , 2012).The nurse was correct in reporting the overly negligent nurse. As a result of the breach of duty owed to the patient resulted in harm. The nurse can be charged with malpractice/gross negligence and possibly lose her license. In the next case study it was not clear what actions the nurse was negligent on but a lawsuit still endured. The six categories of negligence that result in malpractice lawsuits are failure to follow standards of care, failure to use equipment in a responsible manner, failure to assess and monitor, failure to communicate, failure to document , and failure to act as a patient advocate (Higginbotham & McCarthy,
NUR/391
Sharon Little-Stoetzel
February 17, 2013
Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing
Within the profession of Nursing there are many decisions and clinical vignettes that will play out. This paper will depict an end of life case study, which will be explored. When reviewing each case study there are two nursing actions for how end of life care is viewed and carried out, according to the American Association Code of Nursing Ethics. Throughout the ethics code it explains how a nurse who does not abide by the standards would be handled.
The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics states that respecting a patient at the end of life" extends to all …show more content…
There is also the responsibility of the nurse 's employer to report the case. If there are witnesses the obligation to report is vital. First protecting and providing safe care to the patient takes top priority. Other actions to take may include informing the loved ones or family of the patient. The next step is to continue the reporting of the incident up the chain of command starting with the nurse 's direct supervisor all the way to a legislative organization. During the chain of reporting when a link is broken it is the original nurse 's responsibility to report to the legislative organization if warranted. The American Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics states that "as a nurse the obligation is to the patient because nurses strive to resolve conflicts in the ways that ensure patient 's safety, guard the patient 's best interest and preserve the professional integrity of the nurse"((American Nurses Association (ANA, 2001, p. 10).
Personal and societal values can influence ethical decision making. Rassin wrote, "Values lie at the core of the diverse world of human behavior and are expressed in every human decision and action" (Rassin, 2008,pg …show more content…
The Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) defines negligence as a, "Failure to use such care as a reasonably prudent and careful person would use under similar circumstances"(JCAHO, 2003) .The nurse 's main obligation is to uphold the Standards of Care for the patient. It is the nurse 's duty to have a relationship with a patient which involves providing care and following the acceptable standards of care (Kozier et al. , 2012).The nurse was correct in reporting the overly negligent nurse. As a result of the breach of duty owed to the patient resulted in harm. The nurse can be charged with malpractice/gross negligence and possibly lose her license. In the next case study it was not clear what actions the nurse was negligent on but a lawsuit still endured. The six categories of negligence that result in malpractice lawsuits are failure to follow standards of care, failure to use equipment in a responsible manner, failure to assess and monitor, failure to communicate, failure to document , and failure to act as a patient advocate (Higginbotham & McCarthy,