Ethical and Legal Considerations in Nursing Practice: Addressing Challenging Scenarios

QUESTION

PLEASE INDICATE ALL REFERENCE USED TO RECEIVE STAR. THANK YOU

GOAL: Nurses, midwives and other health professionals have legal and ethical responsibilities and accountabilities in practice. The goal of this assessment is to apply your understanding of ethical and legal principles and requirements to the roles and responsibilities.

Course Learning Outcomes Assessed

  1. dentify, describe and apply aspects of the Australian legal system and statutory bodies to nursing and midwifery practice.
  2. Define and apply contemporary professional ethical standards to decision making and practice.
  3. Critically analyse health situations from an ethical and legal perspectivETask Instructions

Required to develop short answer responses to set case study

In this task sample respond to the two scenarios case studies presented.

Your responses will draw on theory, legislation, the professional codes of conduct and ethics, and organisational policy.

response must consider:

1. The ethical principles and how they apply to the case.

2. The legal requirements for students and registered health professionals.

3. The implications for the health facility and/or education provider if required for each of the cases

CASE STUDY

Case 1:
You are a student on a mental health rotation in mental health ward at a private hospital and you
have been caring for a 25-year-old patient who is admitted as a voluntary patient for a depressive
illness. You develop a therapeutic relationship with the patient and, throughout their stay, discover
that you both have many things in common. You begin to look forward to seeing the patient on shift
and toward the end of your placement, they add you to their social media.
You really like the patient and do not want to damage the therapeutic relationship or upset them, so
you accept their request. You and the patient have been exchanging intimate personal messages,
you mention this to one of the other students, and they are shocked.
You like the patient and are unsure what your sample actions should be.
Case 2:
You are a community registered nurse (RN) who has just started a new position for a community
health service where you are required to do home visits. You are buddied with another RN for your
first week who has been working for the service for many years.
You attend a home visit where you are required to administer an Intramuscular medication which is
not commonly administered by the community health service. You state that you are going to do an
assessment on the patient and request that your buddy RN prepare the medication for
administration. She appears hesitant but agrees. Once you have finished the assessment, you go to
check the medication however, your colleague says she has “spilt the ampoule” you do not have
more stock of this medication and must reschedule the visit for the patient to receive the
medication. When you get back to the Hub, one of your new co-workers asks you about your home
visit. You mention about your buddy RN spilling the ampoule of medication and having to reschedule
the visit. Your new co-worker laughs and states that your buddy RN “can’t do medications, she can’t
see a thing” due to a degenerative eye condition and was “surprised she even found the correct
ampoule.” You mention that you are concerned by this as giving medication is part of the
community registered nurses role. Your new co-worker states that your buddy RN has been with the
service for so many years the other nurses just “work around it.”
You are very concerned about the events of the day and the discussion with your new co-worker,
you are unsure where the accountability lies and how to address this issue.

ANSWER

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Nursing Practice: Addressing Challenging Scenarios

Introduction

As a student on a mental health rotation and a community registered nurse, you may encounter challenging situations that require a deep understanding of ethical principles and legal requirements in nursing practice. This essay will analyze two case studies to explore the ethical implications, legal obligations, and potential consequences for both the health facility and education provider in each scenario.

Case 1: Maintaining Professional Boundaries in Social Media Interaction

Ethical Principles

Respect for Autonomy: Respecting the patient’s autonomy and ensuring their right to privacy and confidentiality.
Beneficence: Ensuring the best interest of the patient’s well-being while maintaining a therapeutic Non-maleficence: Avoiding harm to the patient, both emotionally and professionally, by upholding boundaries.

Legal Requirements

Privacy Laws: Complying with laws governing patient information and avoiding any unauthorized disclosure.
Professional Codes of Conduct: Adhering to the ethical guidelines set by professional bodies.

Implications

Health Facility: The hospital may face reputational damage and potential legal repercussions if a breach of patient privacy occurs due to inappropriate social media interaction.
Education Provider: The education provider may need to reinforce ethical training and professional boundaries for students to prevent similar incidents.

Recommendation

The student should immediately cease all personal communication with the patient on social media and seek guidance from their clinical supervisor or nursing educator to address the situation ethically and professionally.

Case 2: Medication Administration and Accountability

Ethical Principles

Veracity: Promoting truthfulness and transparency in reporting medication administration errors.
Accountability: Acknowledging one’s responsibility and duty to ensure safe and effective patient care.

Legal Requirements

Medication Administration Regulations: Complying with legal requirements related to medication administration and patient safety.
Reporting Medication Errors: Reporting any medication errors as required by organizational policies and regulatory bodies.

Implications

Health Facility: The community health service may be liable for any harm caused to the patient due to medication errors, and there may be consequences for staff involved in the incident.
Education Provider: The education provider should ensure that nursing students receive comprehensive training in medication administration and error reporting.

Recommendation

The community registered nurse should report the medication spill incident following the facility’s policies and procedures and seek guidance from senior nursing staff or management to address the concerns regarding the colleague’s visual impairment.

Conclusion

In both cases, adherence to ethical principles and legal obligations is essential to ensure patient safety, maintain professional integrity, and protect the reputation of healthcare facilities and education providers. Upholding ethical standards and legal requirements empowers nurses to provide compassionate and safe care while advocating for the well-being of their patients and colleagues.

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