Ethical and Legal Issues

Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Over the last several decades, professional breast feeding has evolved and changed because of the influence of downright and sanctioned issues. There may be a variety of reasons for the changes. Examples in changes argon advances in medical technology, legal changes about abortion and euthanasia, a push toward patient rights and litigation, and ever change magnitude resources in which to provide breast feeding business concern. With all these influences affecting c atomic number 18, it has be educe increasingly difficult to defend a true understanding of the passion nursing should take when faced with moralistic, estimable, and legal issues.Examination of private moral and morality along with utilization of available resources allow no doubt aid maintainmaids in variety out feelings, strategizing for the patient and families, and providing centering to give the best administer possible. One resource available is the American Nurses Association, they have developed a canon of ethics that should act as a guide in directing cargon and solving the ethical and legal dilemmas that surface. When applying the cypher of ethics resource nurses can charge their patients families in making informed decisions as well as understand their own and their colleagues responsibilities.By examining two subject field scenarios, the first involving end of life decisions, the second involving nursing conduct, the application of the code of ethics, the legal aspects, and the nurses responsibilities would be better understood. It is prudent to begin by examining the legal responsibilities of the nurse in the proceeding setting. A Registered Nurse carries a legal tariff in the work setting. A nurse has a commitment to the safety of the patient and must be aware of inappropriate figure. All nurses have ethical duties to the patients they serve.According to the American Nurses Association a nurse promotes, advocates for, and stri ves to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient (ANA, 2001, p. 18). If an action is taken that poses denigrative effect on a patients health this needs to be immediately describe to a higher authority within the workplace or if necessary to a suitable foreign authority. A nurse must be accountable for his or her individual nursing practice. The nurses duty is to identify anyone with questionable practice.All workplaces have guidelines set in place for these types of events. A nurse should concern herself about repercussions when breeding unethical practice. A nurse should be familiar and compliant with his or her states nurse practice act and his or her workplace policies applicable practice standards of care for each clinical area. In the malpractice exercise the nurse was observed on several occasions violating standards of care. The occurrences were describe immediately through the chain of command which in this fictional character was judicature.After anecdo tical nones were kept by the nurse, she should prepare written documentation, including the time and location of the incident and names of any witnesses. Time should be taken to think about the incident and write down all important points that come to mind, who and, when, she nonified in administration and what was told to them. This way everything would be in order and accessible if you need to recall when answering questions. Be honest and truthful if there is some(a)thing you cannot re constituent you, state that you do not recall.There should be no slight during this process, it is the ethical and legal duty of a nurse, as the patient advocate, to stand up, and protect the patient. Every nurse is equally responsible for his or her own actions. Responsibility also carries over to patients not under her direct care, the province for all patients. The incident was reported in the correct manner and she kept personal anecdotal records and upheld her ethical duties. Personal and societal views play a major role in the way a nurse views a current ethical position.As nurses and as human beings, we each will have our own way of evaluating and assessing different circumstances that we are part of daily. No matter what kind of nursing or nursing love that you may have, you cannot run from these trying predicaments. Our ethical framework assists us when we experience serious ethical dilemmas (Cameron & Salas, 2010, p. 655). In the case regarding Marianne, there are countless ways in which personal and societal values could have played a part.They could affect how the family would be viewed by society if they did not try everything to save their loved one, or how would it look if they went through with the surgery and it looked as if Marianne was experiencing torture. Ethical dilemmas are never straightforward and never with a right or wrong answer. It is our job as nurses to move aside our feelings and beliefs and to educate the family on all of the potential outcomes that may be expected. We must remember as health care providers, to be non-judgmental.When reviewing the case of Marianne, the significant legal aspect to consider is the lack of a Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will. Not possessing Mariannes documented wishes creates a legal ethical dilemma and creates family conflict. The responsibility of deciding the future of Mariannes care will fall on the family with guidance from the hospitals Ethics Committee. The ANA Code of Ethics provides nurses with guidance in legal and ethical responsibilities. The code describes the obligation of treating patients and families with autonomy.Lachman describes the role of autonomy in nursing care patients have a moral and legal right to determine what will be done with their own person to be given accurate, complete, and intelligible information in a manner that facilitates an informed judgment to be assisted with weighing the benefits, burdens, and available options in their treatmen t, including the choice of no treatment to accept, refuse, or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress, coercion, or penalisation and to be given necessary support throughout the decision-making and treatment process (Lachman, 2009, p. 55).Providing autonomous nursing care to Marianne and her family will ensure all the options are presented. The family members place trust in the nurse to provide approximate care and be supportive, regardless of the decision they make for Mariannes future. The trust placed on nurses includes responsibility to the patient and the institution ensuring policies are adhered to thus avoiding the possibilities of negligence. With trust, nurses have an obligation to society. Legally we are responsible to stay on integrity and safety, to maintain competence and to continue personal and professional growth (ANA, 2001, p. 8). No matter the situation of the patient in regard to age, race, religion, economic status, etc. We are to treat eac h patient and family member with the same amount of respect. Both case studies The Nurse as the Witness and The Six Caps are alone(predicate) in different ways. Nurses often have the tendency to develop close relationships with patients. Reminders may be requisite often that the purpose of nursing is not friendship but to alleviate suffering, protect the patient, promote wellness, and to encourage restore the health.In Mariannes case the legal responsibility of the nurse is to communicate all possibilities of Mariannes care. The nurse in this situation has an obligation to provide all the information possible to help the family come to a decision in regard to Mariannes life. Nurses are to be truthful and never maintain any information. No matter what a family or patient decides, the nurse is to advocate for that decision. Family decisions are not the function of nurse, no matter what the nature. There may be instances when a nurse will be a witness or perhaps a defendant.Medical professionals see many and unique situations some will have to be reported and investigated. Documentation is a huge legal aspect of nursing. It will be always important to document exactly what you do and see. Opinions and assumptions are not good practice for documentation purposes as this would not hold up in court and may sway decisions. The malpractice case regarding the nurse as the witness is a fine example of the need to be proficient in documentation. Months and years later, what is in writing is what will count. As nurses we know, if it was not documented, it did not happenFor this particular case study, the nurse was obligated to report exactly what she wrote about the nurse in question. That nurse has an obligation to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to administration even repeatedly if necessary. In any situation, the nurse has an obligation to act in the best interest of the patient. It may have consequences but, the overall nurses responsibility is to keep the patient safe. Summing up, it is clear that nursing practice can be influenced by personal ethics and morals. The American Nurses Associations code of ethics provides a guide for practice.When applied to a hard-nosed case, such(prenominal) as Marianne and her family, the code of ethics allows the nurse caring for here to remain professional and documental without letting her own feelings influence the family. The nurse has a responsibility to Marianne, her family and the employing institution. Overall, these guidelines extend throughout practice and are set in place to protect society. It becomes a mutual trust and is why nursing is held to such a high standard. References American Nurses Association (ANA). (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.Washington, DC ANA. Blais, K. K. , Hayes, J. S. , Kozier, B. , & Erb, G. (2006). Professional nursing practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson, Prentice Hall. Cameron, B. L. , & Salas, A. S. (2010). Ethica l openings in practical home care practice. Nursing Ethics, 17(5), 655-665. Retrieved from http//web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com Practical use of the nursing code of ethics part I. Medsurg nursing official ledger of the academy of medical-surgical nurses, 18(1), 55-57. Retrievedfromhttp//EBSCOhost