Question

What are the legal and ethical considerations for reviewing and improving your nursing practice (35-70 Words)

Answer 1

Ans) Legal standards are based on written law, while ethical standards are based on human rights and wrongs. Something can be legal but not ethical. Legal standards are written by government officials, while ethical standards are written by societal norms

- The ethical principles that nurses must adhere to are the principles of justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, accountability, fidelity, autonomy, and veracity. Justice is fairness. Nurses must be fair when they distribute care, for example, among the patients in the group of patients that they are taking care of.

- The ethical responsibilities of nurses include promoting health, preventing disease and alleviating suffering. According to the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Imperative Statements (The Code), nurses are responsible for the care not only of patients but also their families and associated groups.

- The ethical principles that nurses must adhere to are the principles of justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, accountability, fidelity, autonomy, and veracity.

• Justice is fairness. Nurses must be fair when they distribute care, for example, among the patients in the group of patients that they are taking care of. Care must be fairly, justly, and equitably distributed among a group of patients.
• Beneficence is doing good and the right thing for the patient.
• Nonmaleficence is doing no harm, as stated in the historical Hippocratic Oath. Harm can be intentional or unintentional.
• Accountability is accepting responsibility for one's own actions. Nurses are accountable for their nursing care and other actions. They must accept all of the professional and personal consequences that can occur as the result of their actions.
• Fidelity is keeping one's promises. The nurse must be faithful and true to their professional promises and responsibilities by providing high quality, safe care in a competent manner.
• Autonomy and patient self-determination are upheld when the nurse accepts the client as a unique person who has the innate right to have their own opinions, perspectives, values and beliefs. Nurses encourage patients to make their own decision without any judgments or coercion from the nurse. The patient has the right to reject or accept all treatments.
• Veracity is being completely truthful with patients; nurses must not withhold the whole truth from clients even when it may lead to patient distress