...demands. She keeps a notebook record of her sister’s care, including medication, times of care, intake and output, and personal assessments. In addition, sister is threatening to file a complaint against the hospital staff and the doctors. Her demand is that her sister is not receiving proper care. Burkhardt & Nathaniel 2011, “The principle of beneficence is one that nurse to act in ways that benefit patients” (p. 61). Which means demonstrate beneficence by helping patient to reach their highest level of wellbeing. Miss G is religious person. During my care of Miss G, I assessed her physical, as well as, her spiritual needs. I built my nursing framework for her care based on nursing code of ethics. As a nurse I practices providing care with...
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...Ethical and Legal issues in Nursing The nursing profession is very complex. Every day nurses deal with patients and medical care. There are some days when ethics and legal issues play a role. We were given examples of the legal complexities of nursing through two case studies we were to evaluate. For this paper we will discuss the legal responsibilities of nursing, how personal and societal values can influence ethical decision-making and how the ANA’s Code of Nursing Ethics would influence the final decisions. Legal Responsibilities of Nurses Nursing boards are governmental state agencies responsible for regulating the nursing practice. A nursing license obtained through state nursing boards validates that nurses have met standards for providing high quality care. Nurses are legally held accountable for administering medications accurately, educating patients and public on health issues, advocating for the patient regarding health care, and serving as a liaison between the patient and the physician. Professional standards are determined by Standards of Practice Acts and the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics. As professionals, nurses must also be familiar with ethical responsibilities and protect the rights of their patients and families. As the definition of liability has continued to expand through the judicial system, courts of laws have placed higher standards on the profession of nursing. Many times professional...
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...Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing NUR/391 Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing As nurses, it is our duty to advocate for our patients. At times, we are faced with personal and professional challenges that impact how and when we chose to advocate. It is imperative we have a healthy awareness of these potential challenges. Improvements in health care technology have provided patients with an array of treatment options as well as assumed or possible increased chance of survival. As a result, nurses are met with a rise in ethical decision making. This paper will discuss the legal, ethical, social, and personal factors that can impact our decision making process, with the focus on two specific case studies. American Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics Role in Practice The American Nursing Association (ANA) has created a set of ethical standards for the profession of nursing to abide by, which is entitled the ANA Nursing Code of Ethics. The ANA Code of Ethics states that collaboration is central to the care nurses deliver and to their ethical commitment to the patient (Garity, 2005). In the end-of-life case study, the nurse (she) has an unwritten obligation to the patient; the family appears to be in conflict with how to proceed with the patient's medical treatment. The medical team has an obligation to give the family all of their options and possible outcomes. If the family remains in conflict, it would then be appropriate for her to refer the family to...
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... In the case study, the nurse is facing ethical as well as professional dilemma regarding the patient’s rights. The nurse’s role in this case study is to, work according to the Maryland state regulations and nursing standards; But as per Maryland nursing standards, she is not working as an advocate for her patient, Mr. E at this situation (Code of Ethics - the Division of State Documents, 10.27.19.02). The patient already signed advanced directive against life saving measures almost seven years ago, at the time of admission to a nursing home, with the help of patient advocate; but Dr G. is planning patient care in opposition to Mr.E’s active advance directive and his expressed objections to the medical care. There are numerous issues to consider in this case study. The nurse has to review her professional role according to code of ethics and nursing standards in relation to advance directives and medical power of attorney. The nurse also has to consider the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality according to HIPPA Policy. The issues in contemporary healthcare facilities are sometimes the statues can be vague, and issues can be in conflict with own personal beliefs in most areas. A) State Regulations and Nursing Standards of practice There are specific Maryland state regulations and nursing standards regarding patient rights in this case study. However, the most relevant regulation is that, the nurse...
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...Dilemmas and D'Legals: Ethics and Law in Nursing Marsha Brice, Barbara Gong, Holly Lavely, Lindsey Talbot, Loveda Turnage NUR/391 August 6, 2012 Esther Van Baren Dilemmas and D'Legals: Ethics and Law in Nursing Every day nurses are confronted with situations that lead them to question their ethics and the legal duties of their profession. Both dilemmas are presented for examination and discussion in this class via two scenarios. In the first case scenario, the family of a victim of a hemorrhagic stroke must decide what measures they want the hospital staff to take to either sustain her life or if they want to deny any or all life-saving steps. In this instance, the father and children are at odds in their decision. The next case presents malpractice lawsuit scene where a nurse is called to testify on behalf of the patient against the negligent nurse and hospital. While these situations are vastly different, they share two inherent questions: What is the ethical thing to do? What is the nurse’s legal obligation? Each case study produced different legal questions. In the first case study the family of the patient could not agree on a course of action. There was no advance directive and the patient was not conscious. The husband of the patient in this case is the legal next of kin and is therefore legally responsible for making health care decisions for his wife when she is unable to do so. The children of the patient could challenge their father in court...
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...Issues Ethics is an integral part to nursing practice. The American Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA) with interpretive statements acts as a guide for professional conduct by outlining the ethical values of the profession. The Code provides the profession with a statement of responsibility to the public and serves as a basis for individual nursing decisions in clinical situations when ethical dilemmas arise. The code integrates universal, ethical principles which serve as the foundation for ethical actions. Nurses face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. Our primary goal as nurses is the commitment to protect our patients. Provision 2 of the American Nursing Code of Ethics, describes the nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient. (ANA, 2010). Another important goal is to maintain safety, dignity and accountability. Respect the patient’s confidentiality and autonomy. The Nurse acts as the person who helps and advocates for the patient and their families about health care and end of life decisions. According to the American Nurse Association Code of Ethics, Provision 1:1 states that, “a fundamental principle that underlines all nursing practice is respect for the inherent worth, dignity, and human rights of every individual” (ANA, 2010). In the case study of Marianne a comatose patient, she has no advance directives, leaving her husband and children to make the decisions with different opinions. (Chitty & Black, 2011, pg.175). The ethics committee is already...
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...Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics is one of the main tools available for the nurse to utilize when it comes to making these tough decisions. The nurse may apply personal values as well as societal values to these cases in order to come to a sound, ethical decision. The legal aspects of each of these cases can have a profound effect on the continuing career of the nurse, a thorough evaluation is necessary to protect all involved. Finally, the nurse also carries a legal responsibility to her profession, workplace, patients, and self. Ethical and legal decision-making are complex but after a thorough assessment, the nurse can continue to make an ethically and legally sound judgment on how to proceed. Influence of the ANA Code of Nursing Ethics The ANA Code of Nursing Ethics is the first reference when deciding how to proceed with an incapacitated patient who has no advanced directive or how a nurse should react when called upon to testify against an employer in a negligence or malpractice case. This code, designed to assist the nurse in maintaining his or her ethical integrity as well as protect the nurse and patient during ethical dilemmas, is the foundation for ethical decision making (Blais & Hayes). According to American Nursing Association (2001), the nurse should place the patient first in both of these cases. The nurse’s top priority and legal responsibility is to the safety and wellbeing of the patients as their advocates (American Nursing Association, 2001). This...
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...Ethics Case Study HCS478 January 6, 2010 Barbara Scheibe, RNC, MSN Ethics Case Study Healthcare professionals are faced with ethical dilemmas and issues on a regular basis especially in the emergency department. The purpose of this paper is to identify ethical issues within a case study. This case study involves an eight month old infant who presents to the emergency department with injuries. After arriving at the emergency department it is noted that the infant has bilateral fractured femurs. The ethical issue identified within this case study is the possibility of child abuse by either the mother or a worker at the daycare facility. The nurse makes notes of her concerns within the patients chart as well as verbalizes concern to the emergency room physician regarding the injuries to the infant. It appears to be a lack of follow-up with these concerns so this presents an ethical issue. There are eight ethical principles that a nurse should learn to apply to each situation that he or she feels there is an ethical decision that needs to be made. The eight principles to apply are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, veracity, fidelity, justice, paternalism, and respect for others (Guido, 2010). Within the nursing field advocacy plays a critical role in keeping the patients safe throughout their encounters with the health care system (Beyea, 2005). One of the conflicts noted in the situation listed is, more research should have been conducted to investigate...
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...Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing NUR/391 July 28, 2013 Mary Nicks, MSN, RN Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing In this paper ethical and legal issues will be reviewed concerning the decisions and responsibilities of the nurse in the case of Marianne who has had a stroke and the decisions that the family is facing for treatment or end of life care. The legal and ethical issues in a malpractice case that occurred several years ago and the responsibility of the nurse to her employer, the nurse being sued, the client in question, and the institution’s client will be reviewed. The areas that will be reviewed include how the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics would influence a final decision in each case study, how personal and societal values can influence the ethical decision making, the fundamental legal aspects of each case study, and the legal responsibility of the nurse in the work setting. The ANA code of Ethics must be followed in practice and is an especially useful tool when there are difficult legal and ethical issues that arise in nursing practice. In the example of the malpractice case for negligence, as a witness to questionable practice, it is the nurse’s primary responsibility to protect the safety of the patient. Although the nurse was correct in reporting the episode to administration, she also had a duty to counsel the nurse about the inappropriate standard of care. The ANA is clear that when a nurse is aware of questionable practice...
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...Business Ethics in a Hospital Setting Darlene V Nickerson Columbia Southern University Abstract Business ethics in a hospital setting includes a review of many areas. Ethical considerations include the areas of patient care, nursing ethics, physician ethics, patient privacy, and medical billing practices. This paper will touch on ethical concerns for each of these topics. Keywords: hospitals, ethics, patient care, nursing, physicians Business Ethics in a Hospital Setting When beginning a discussion of business ethics in a hospital setting it is important to take a broad approach. Because a hospital is a business and also a treatment facility, the ethical concerns must be considered not only for areas such as billing and privacy but also for ethics related to the appropriate care of patients, nursing ethics, and physician ethics. The ethics of the treatment methods employed based on the patient’s condition must also be considered. Ethics and Patient Care I believe that when discussing the ethical implications of patient care it is helpful to review a real-world scenario. One highly publicized case involved Terri Schiavo and her husband’s fight to stop her tube feedings as there was no hope for her recovery (VandeKieft, 2005). One reason for the high visibility of this case in the media occurred because the patient's husband and the patient's family disagreed on the diagnosis (VandeKieft, 2005). Terri suffered a cardiac arrest due to severe hypokalemia (low potassium...
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...Implementing ethico-legal issues in nursing practice. Caldwell, E., Lu, H., & Harding, T. (2010). Encompassing multiple moral paradigms: a challenge for nursing educators. Nursing Ethics 17(2), 189-199. Retrieved August3, 2010, from Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition Database. Aim: As society becomes increasingly globalised, it is imperative to include international educational perspectives in the nursing profession (Robinson, Sportsman, Eschiti, Bradshaw and Bol, (2006). Caldwell, Lu & Harding (2010) argue that the quality of nursing care necessitates nurses to reflect on nursing ethics in relation to their individual principled way of life. Cadwell, Lu & Harding (2010) paper explores these ideas. Summary: The fundamental nature of professional development implies personal development (Glen, 2005). ‘Encompassing multiple moral paradigms: a challenge for nursing educators’, is an in-depth analysis of nursing ethical dilemmas; the efforts that are undertaken to implement professional development through reflection, self-monitoring and self-control; and the challenges for nurse educators to integrate the syllabus into real-life clinical practice situations. Caldwell, Lu & Harding (2010) study analyses nursing ethics, Chinese ethical philosophies, and Judeo/Christian traditions as they endeavour to demonstrate the real-life issues of morally conflicting situations in nursing practice within these groups and the possible legal consequences. Relevant to topic yes/no...
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...true. The client’s wishes may conflict with the institutional policies, physician professional opinion, the client’s family desires, or even the laws of the state. According to the nursing code of ethics, the nurse’s first allegiance is to the client (Blais & Hayes, 2011, pg. 60). The ethical ideals of each nurse must be weighed with the laws of the state along with providing the most ethical care for the patient. The advancements in medical technology make it possible to sustain a patient life where previously there was no hope of recovery. These advancements have put nurses in the forefront of decision making begging the question “just because we can, should we” to be answered. Nurses need to understand the legalities involved with these new technologies to practice safely and effectively. Scientific achievements have opened new ground for nursing exploration. In response to the need for nursing input into social and legal issues, nurses now find career opportunities as forensic nurses, legal nurse consultants, and nurse-attorneys (Blais & Hayes, 2011, pg. 75). This paper will explore the ethical and legal issues encountered by nurses in two case studies. The American Nurses Association Code of Nursing Ethics could influence a final decision in each case study that was presented. The six caps study revealed family members to have conflict in their desires when it came time for a decision in going ahead with surgery (the father’s desire) and having a poor quality of life as the...
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...professional nurses we often find ourselves faced with questions of ethics and legality when it comes to the care of patients. It is here that we find ourselves in the conundrum that is called nursing judgment. ”The basic level of problems concerns the dilemmas which arise for individual professional when they sense that there is a conflict between their private moral convictions and what they believe is required of them…” (Thompson, 1976). Nursing judgment is hard when so many factors are present, from the patient’s viewpoint, to the family/caregiver to the physicians ultimately in charge of the care. Many complicated scenarios can occur for the RN at any time and they must base their decisions on the ethical and legal guidelines that govern the nursing profession. Body In the world of nursing we are faced with ethical decisions on a regular basis but it is how we handle these situations that makes the difference. As a nurse we are bound by the guidelines of the code of ethics. The ANA (2014) states the “Code of Ethics for Nurses is a succinct statement of the ethical obligations and duties of every individual who enters the nursing profession. “It is the profession’s nonnegotiable ethical standard” and “an expression of nursing’s own understanding of its commitment to society”. In the case of the patient admitted with a hemorrhagic stroke whose family disagreed on the plan of care, the code of ethics outlines that the patient is our primary concern. When faced with conflict...
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...QUESTION TWO: ADULT CASE STUDY, AN ETHICAL ISSUE OF CONSENT. This essay presents a critical incident analysis of a 70 years old man refusing to give consent to a life saving treatment. The essay will discuss its impact by discussing the conflict between professional and the patient’s issues. It will go on to explain the main professional issues in the scenario, breach of any NMC code of conduct and show how they relate to the guidelines set by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). It will also highlight on the relevant underlying legal or ethical principles that applies to the case study and its implications. For instance, ethical principles, such as beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, human rights and the best interests of the patient will be explored, in the light of relevant laws, in order to show some of the legal and ethical complexities within this case study, and finally draw a conclusion. For confidentiality purposes, have been changed in accordance to the NMC guidelines. The main professional issue reflected in this case study is the issue of consent. Consent, means to give permission for something to take place or to agree to do something (oxford dictionary 1998). This does not necessitate that, the actions approved have been developed or permission given in the knowledge of possible consequences known as informed consent has been achieved. This goes to show that, for medical purposes, although the patient has the right to refuse treatment, he has to also...
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...Ethical Issues with Case Studies Kimberley Corkran, Kleopatra G Jikokaj, Nicole Sherrod, Novia Williams Course/Number 12-08-2014 Mary Nicks Legal and Ethical Issues Introduction Nurses are governed by their nurses’ association code of ethics. Each individual also have values and beliefs which guides their behavior, however in the work setting the nurses association code of ethics supersede. As an individual, when we commit an offence, even though we are guided by our association code of ethics it is the law of our country by which we will be judged. In this paper we will be exploring how personal and societal values, and the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics would influence decision in two scenarios involving patients. One case in which a nurse is a witness against her colleague in a malpractice case, in which her colleagues negligence resulted in harm to the patient, and she have reported her colleagues acts of negligence to her administrator on several occasion. The other case involves a patient who was diagnosed hemorrhagic stroke requiring ventilator assistance. Her family is divided in what the management should be, with her husband wanting to try everything to save her life and her children believing that she would not want to do surgery to be kept alive to live a poor quality life, which they believe will occur if she did the surgery. We will also be looking at the fundamental legal aspects of each case and the legal responsibility...
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