There are countless legal aspects nurses must abide by in the workplace. The Nurse Practice Act states the guidelines and laws for each state putting in place the common legalities for nurses to follow. As a nurse, the number one legal aspect that comes to mind is acting as the patient’s advocate. In the case study, Marianne’s family was having a tough time agreeing on whether or not to go through with the surgery and what to do after the surgery. The nurse’s responsibility is to act as the liaison between the physician and the patient, but also to explain the treatment, possible outcomes and the best possible choice for the patient based on the patient’s wishes (Blais, 2011).
Negligence and malpractice are two terms used a lot in the healthcare field. It is your duty as a nurse to fulfil all physician orders and to provide quality care to the patient. The patient should be checked on regularly and assessed. Medications should be cross checked and the patient should be monitored for side effects around the clock (Strader, 1985). Failure to assess and or follow up with your patient regularly could harm the patient and potentially result in death which leads to malpractice lawsuits for negligence. Nurses must be aware of their patients and communicate clearly and precisely with the physician while monitoring the patients care.
Overall, many legal aspects can arise while working in the healthcare profession. To assure legal lawsuits or issues don’t arise one must follow all protocols of the facility they work for, state protocols under the Nurse Practice Act for the state in which they work, all orders given by the physician whom they are collaborating with for care of the client and be accountable for you actions.

References
Blais, K., & Hayes, J. (2011). Legal Foundations of Professional Nursing. In Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives