Question

Select five legal or ethical concepts that you feel influence nursing practice. Explain the selected concepts regarding both the impact on agency viability and quality patient care. Review the selected concepts and strategically analyze for priorities, challenges, and issues from a legal and ethical perspective Identify instances of actions taken by an agency or provider that would or could violate the ethical duties and responsibilities of the health care providers or the rights of patients Develop a policy proposal, measures, and recommendations for prevention of legal and ethical violations Detail how could nursing intervene or advocate to incorporate legal and ethical theories and principles more effectively into practice

Answer 1

Predominantly nursing profession is caring than curing . Nursing profession has own ethical concepts and problems.

1. Informed consent: Telling the truth is a basic principle behind nursing at any circumstances . The doctor is the one who has to explain regarding the outcomes of any treatment or surgery. The nurse should be a legal advisor for the patient and has the concept to talk from patient side always . A competent good nurse and a physician should be available to take informed consent from patient to solve any ethical legal issues. Informing patients of their diagnosis when the physician and family has to withhold the information is a problematic situation for nurses occuring occuring commonly. Nurses always practice patient autonomy by disclosing information to the concerned patient in any time , because nurses follow their ethical standards in patient care.
2. Denial of care: sometimes some nurses due to conflicts or personal issues may refrain from care of some patients which is unacceptable in nursing. Some nurses fearing personal risk of injury may refuse giving care to patients with any infectious diseases ( example AIDS). According to ethical concepts in nursing it is not acceptable for denying care to any patient.
3. Confidentiality: A nurse should not disclose their patient information unnecessarily through gossiping and leaving the records of patient open without security or password. Being confidential is necessary in nursing profession. Often when patients records are exposed may lead to maleficence . So a nurse should practice essential precautions to keep the records safe
4. Beneficence: Nurses should explain regarding the good and bad effects of any procedure carried out on patient. Delivering honest information aids in good communication and develops trust on the nurse. Nurse should be an advocate of patient in any way. If a patient is undergoing any surgery , the nurse should stand at patient side and question physician about possible recovery time for her patient. Nurse will not do any act which inflict harm to her patient.

• Pain control: patients with lots of pain from surgery or any condition may require large doses of analgesics both intravenously and orally. A nurse may always think that giving more analgesics may cause any side effects to patients. But she has to think from point of view patient, if the patient has any terminally ill condition which requires more analgesics she has to provide it , then monitor patient's respiration and other vitals carefully . She has to report it when the vital parameters starts to fluctuate.

Dilemmas occur when the nurses play significant role in patient education and patient rights . A nurse always question the hospital in the event of any harm to patient. The nurse always collaborates with other health care professionals in the hospital to provide quality care to the patient. She stays systematic and organised to actively evaluate and determine the outcomes for the care given to patient. Thus she has critical thinking skills to provide appropriate individualized nursing care in all practice settings.