Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice

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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Task No. 3 Task Title Legal and ethical case studies
Unit / Module details
Qualification/Course Code HLT54115
Title Diploma of Nursing
Unit/Module Code HLTENN008
Title Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice
Assessment details
Elements / Learning
outcomes
For successful completion of this assessment students must demonstrate the ability to:
 Perform within scope of professional nursing practice
 Apply knowledge of the legal framework to nursing practice
 Apply ethical concepts to clinical practice
 Support the rights, interests and needs of the person and their family
Task overview
(see below for specific
instructions and criteria)
This assessment consists of four case studies containing different legal and ethical issues related to
nursing practice. Each case study is followed by a series of short answer questions which the student is
required to answer.
Assessment
conditions
 This assessment will be completed in student’s own time or in class as directed by the facilitator
 Students will complete this assessment individually
 The due date of this assessment is listed at the top of this page
 The student must complete their assessment using the templates provided
Resources  Learning materials on MyLearning
 Staunton, Patricia J & Chiarella, Mary, (author.) (2017). Law for nurses and midwives (8th edition).
Chatswood, NSW Elsevier Australia https://www.clinicalkey.com.au/nursing/#!/browse/book/3-
s2.0-C20150018792
 Johnstone, Megan-Jane (2016). Bioethics: a nursing perspective (6e). Chatswood, NSW Elsevier.
https://www.clinicalkey.com.au/nursing/#!/browse/book/3-s2.0-C20150005615
 Keeping Children Safe in The Workplace - http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/pages/forms-and-
publications/forms-and-publications/keeping-children-safe-in-the-workplace
 NMBA Professional Codes and Guidelines - http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-
Guidelines-Statements.aspx
 Government Legislation and Regulations - http://www.austlii.edu.au/databases.html
 LaTrobe University APA referencing guide - http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/referencing-tool/apa-
6/book#single-author
How to submit Upload a completed copy of this assessment document to MyLearning by the due date.
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Assessment instructions
and criteria
With competency based
assessment all assessment
requirements for each
assessment task must be
assessed as satisfactory (S) for a
competent (CA) result to be
recorded. If an assessment result
for any task is assessed as not
satisfactory (NS) a resubmission
will be required for the
outstanding (NS) assessment
task.
Instruction/Task Criteria that you will be assessed on S
Legal and ethical case studies
Review each of the four case
studies provided, and provide
responses to the questions that
follow.
See further details below.
Your ability to:
 Perform within scope of professional nursing practice
 Apply knowledge of the legal framework to nursing practice
 Apply ethical concepts to clinical practice
 Support the rights, interests and needs of the person and their family
☐
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Case study 1: Dr and Mrs Jones
An aged care health service provider you work for as a community nurse has received a request from Dr Jones, 80-years-old, for
support to maintain his 78-year-old wife, Mary, at home. Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 10 years ago.
Dr Jones is a former GP, who retired to care for his wife.
Along with the aged care health service provider’s social worker, you recently conducted a home visit to assess Mrs Jones and
discuss support options with Dr Jones. On arrival, you found the house was unclean and in disrepair. Both Dr and Mrs Jones were
unkempt and unclean.
Mr Jones is fully dependent on Dr Jones for all of her personal care needs. The assessment found she was emaciated,
malnourished, dehydrated and constipated. Mrs Jones’ skin was yellow and she also appeared lethargic and depressed.
Despite her obvious state of poor health and need for care and treatment, Dr Jones vehemently rejected any suggestion of
admission to hospital. He insisted his wife remain in his care at home. Dr Jones became agitated when you insisted that a hospital
admission was required.
Earlier in her life, Mrs Jones had devoted herself to Dr Jones and raised their six children almost single-handedly while her husband
worked in his GP practice. The social worker surmised that for Dr Jones to allow his wife to be cared for by others would be an
admission that he had failed as both a husband and a GP.
Dr Jones was also very thin and stated he lacked sleep because his wife was restless and wandered at night time. Further
discussion with Dr Jones revealed he had been prescribing medications for his wife and administering large doses of analgesics.
Question Response
1. Identify the legal/ethical issues in
this situation.
Answer 1- There are the various issues, legal and ethical while taking
care of the adult patient of the Alzheimer’s. Such the major issue is keep
confidentiality of patient data so that they can be safe at community.
Then providing the effective intervention and care along with the
consideration of patient choice in care process. Justification and
paternalism, where nurse have to provide the care by concerning it to
patient. Providing them soft and hard lying in order to help Mrs. Jones
to remember the good things and forget the bad things. Providing best
and selective evidence based practices or interventions.
2. Explain your duty of care and likely
course of action as a nurse in this
situation. In your response, explain
your reasoning and decision making
process.
Answer 2- As a community care nurse in the care support role of the
Mrs Jones and Mr. Jones, in the situation of unclean home and unclean
Mr and Mrs Jones. Its my responsibility to provide them healthy
environment with different course of action according to the legal
criteria of care and environment management. Along with the
consideration of their personal needs, I should provide the clean and
healthy health care environment by the aid of matrons and renewed,
who's role is to provide the clean and infection free investment to the
patient and this action should be done due to the government policy of
providing the infection free care environment, that policy is NHS
plan(DH 2000). Patient Environment Action Team inspections (PEAT) the health
care policy which providing cleaning standers in order to maintain the infection free
environment, so their I will assure that cleaning should be done according to the
instructions of this policy. Along with the environment cleaning Mr and Mrs Jones
will be clean with proper bathing and cleaning, because it is the role of
nurses to analyse the cleaning requirement and monitor the process of
cleaning along with the quality. Such as nurses have to deal with the
body substances spillages and cleaning of that along with the wash bowl
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Assessment Task Instructions
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cleaning. So cleaning should be done on the routine basis by cleaning
staff and equipment’s and all this process should be done according to
the requirement of patient.
3. Explain whether this situation could
require mandatory reporting and
why. Who would you need to
disclose this situation to?
Answer 3-
There is the need of mandatory reporting due to the unwell
condition of Mrs Jones and Mr. Jones is also not well so they have to
be treated and diagnose at the hospital by the help of siniour authority's.
So have to consider this with some of their family members and
doctors. I will first conduct some test and consider that with doctors.
Then is situation will be serious and require hospital care then this will
be consider with their children's so that we can provide the best care
according to their requirements.
4. Describe the documentation that
needs to be completed in this
situation. What information needs
to be included in this
documentation?
Answer-4 there are the some documentation process which should be
done by the community care nurses in order to provide the best care
with legal rights and practices. That start from the assessment of the
patient situation by considering their past and present condition along
with some medical tests. Then planing for the evidence based practice's
which can be effective for care. Net documentation include
implementation of the interventions and practice's for care. Then final
documentation is involving the data of care effects evaluation, this
involve the analysis and illustration of the improvement and control in
patient situation.
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Case study 2: Mrs Yiannopoulos
Mrs Yiannopolous is an 88-year-old Greek woman who has lived in Australia for over 50 years, however she only has basic English
skills. She has been hospitalised this week with anaemia, gastric pain, lower leg oedema and ascites. She had been referred to
the hospital by her GP.
Mrs Yiannopolous lives alone in a small unit in a country town and receives care in a day care centre for aged members of the
community. Her only close family member is her 68-year-old daughter, Maria, who lives in the same town. Mrs Yiannopolous was
admitted by a care worker from her day care facility.
The physician who reviewed Mrs Yiannopolous provided her with the following information:
“Your haemoglobin level six months ago was 12 and now it is only four. Your anaemia may be caused by bleeding in your
stomach, so a thorough examination is absolutely necessary. To confirm this, we’ll need to undergo a gastroscopy where a
camera is inserted down your throat, into your stomach. If your condition is not treated, serious problems might occur and the
consequences could be life threatening.”
Mrs Yiannopolous has refused to accept this advice and the treatment, saying she is too old and the thought of the gastric
camera terrifies her.
Later in the afternoon, Mrs Yiannopolous’ daughter Maria arrives at the hospital and speaks with her mother.
Maria meets with the care team, including yourself, and explains:
“I want to respect my mother’s decision. I knew that her legs and abdomen were swollen, but because of her age I didn’t want
her to be brought to hospital. My mother and I remember the terrible experience my father had at this hospital and she does not
want to be treated like that. I agree with her, and think she is making the right decision.”
Question Response
1. Identify the legal/ ethical issues in
this situation.
Ethical and legal issues to manage and provide care to Mrs
Yiannopolous is that physical condition should be good in order to
provide the particular treatment. Confidentiality has to be their. Patient
choice is can be a issues in terms of providing care as that is the legal
rules to provide particular treatment to patient after getting their
permission.
2. Explain your duty of care and likely
course of action as a nurse in this
situation. In your response, explain
your reasoning and decision making
process.
Here the my role and action as the nurse should be that, I should
provide all necessary information with medical and emotional care. I
have to manage that situation by following the doctors instructions and
suggesting them best option.
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
3. Explain whether Mrs Yiannopolous
is in a position to make an informed
decision about her treatment.
How could you advocate on behalf
of Mrs Yiannopolous to help her
with her decision around the
proposed treatment?
Mrs Yiannopolous can take their own decision for medical care
because she is mentally fit and according to human right she can take
their own decision. only the mentally ill people who can heart the other
can not take their own decision according to metal health act.
As per the legal rules of the legislation which support the people
interest and respect at the health care and nurse responsibility to
support the patient choice and welfare, I will advocate on behalf of Mrs
Yiannopolous and support her on her decision according to the
standards of Government commissioned Health Education England.
4. Later that day, Mrs Yiannopolous’
daughter, Maria, makes a complaint
to you about her mother not being
provided with an interpreter. She
tells you she wants her mother’s
medical records so she can seek a
second opinion elsewhere. Maria
does not have power of attorney for
her mother.
How do you respond to this
situation?
AS a nurse I have to consider this situation with authority and proceed
according to the legislation and help her out with the right solution.
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Case study 3: Joey
You are a community health nurse who visits and case manages Joey, a 31-year-old man who lives with his parents in the
community.
Joey has a paranoid illness that became acute and caused him to act violently towards a local shopkeeper. Joey was arrested
and then taken to a local acute mental health unit and made an inpatient under mental health legislation.
His condition was stabilised and with the help of regular injections of anti-psychotic medication he was discharged. These
medications are administered by you in his home. In hospital the care team recommended Joey for discharge to a supported
accommodation unit run by a local charity. However, Joey’s choice was to return home and continue living with his parents, who
have taken on the role of his legal guardians. This was a significant sacrifice for his parents. They now rarely have breaks from
caring for Joey, and their friends feel awkward in Joey’s presence when visiting the home.
When you visit Joey, you often find him a bit non-communicative although his parents – with whom you have a good rapport –
say he is usually affable when he is alone with them.
As part of his aftercare plan, Joey agreed to continue to receive his scheduled injections. Recently though, he has refused an
injection you came over to administer. You know from his medical records that this is an indication that Joey is rapidly becoming
acutely paranoid again.
You ask Joey if you can advise his parents that he has not had his injection. You feel that in their role as Joey’s carers, his parents
need to know of his decision. Joey says he does not want his parents to know.
Question Response
1. Identify the legal/ ethical issues in
this situation.
In this case study legal and ethical issues is related to the
confidentiality management and discloser of the information. Lace of the the
mental health forensic information, Absconding behaviour of the patient who don't
ready to share their problem. psychiatrist attendance in the Court, Outcome of
psychopathy.
2. Explain your duty of care and likely
course of action as a nurse in this
situation. In your response, explain
your reasoning and decision making
process.
As community care nurse I have to assess the Joey mental health, I have to make the
good communication with him, in order to build the strong relationship with patient
through which he can be mentally supported. Provide the effective community
services and centre care by considering this with heath professional.
3. Explain whether this situation could
require mandatory reporting and
why. Who would you need to
disclose this situation to?
Yes there is the requirement of mandatory reporting because this case is of mental
illness and patient is not at the position to take their own decisions so this has to
firstly discuss with professional and then to their parents.
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Assessment Task Instructions
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4. Explain how you would approach
obtaining consent from the relevant
parties to provide Joey with his
injection.
I will try to use the relevant support of health care professional and his parents so
that he can be mentally and emotionally encourage to take his injections.
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Assessment Task Instructions
and Feedback Form
Case study 4: Tom
You are a nurse working in an oncology adolescent unit.
You have been providing nursing care for Tom, a 15-year-old boy, for the last six months. Tom is an only child, and his mother
and father have really struggled to come to terms with his cancer diagnosis. Tom’s mother has given up her job as a teacher to
care for Tom and support him through his treatment.
Tome went into hospital recently for a routine tonsillectomy and was found to have an oesophageal tumour. Further scans
revealed Tom had a secondary tumour in his stomach. Tom has undergone radical surgery resulting in short-term tracheostomy,
radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Tom underwent further scans at the end of his last chemotherapy cycle.
Yesterday, you sat in on a consultation with Tom and his family while his oncologist discussed his progress. It was revealed that
Tom has developed another tumour, in his small intestine. The oncologist proposed prompt radical treatment of further surgery
and chemotherapy. Tom’s parents were keen to start the treatment program as soon as possible. You noticed that Tom looked
uncomfortable during the discussion and did not add much to the conversation or decision-making process.
Later in your shift, you take the opportunity to talk to Tom by himself after his parents have left the ward. Tom informs you that
he doesn’t want any more surgery or chemotherapy. He tells you he just wants to get out of hospital and be a teenager as long
as he has time left to enjoy it. Tom states that he feels his mother was very pushy about getting the treatment, but he has made
up his mind. He wants you to help convince his parents and the doctor to honour his wishes.
Question Response
1. Identify the legal/ ethical issues in
this situation.
Ethical issues in that situations is that it is a children's care case which has to be done
on the basis of children's safety act. Then there is the requirement to provide the
evidenced based care along with consideration of patient interest and choice.
2. Explain your duty of care and likely
course of action as a nurse in this
situation. In your response, explain
your reasoning and decision making
process.
As nurse I have to provide the holistic care to patient along with the medical care,
social, emotional support. According to the medical situation and guidelines I have to
manage the situation of tom.
3. Describe what you would say to
Tom’s parents to advocate on Tom’s
behalf.
There is need of advocacy which is regarding Tom which he wants to enjoy the life
and as a consultant there is knowledge that there in no long time for him. So, there is
need to free him to do what he want to do last.
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REFERENCES
Hunt, D.D., 2017. The new nurse educator: Mastering academe. Springer Publishing Company.
McCormack, B., 2017. Negotiating partnerships with older people: a person centred approach. Routledge.
Pendleton, H.M. and Schultz-Krohn, W., 2017. Pedretti's Occupational therapy-e-book: Practice skills for physical dysfunction.
Elsevier Health Sciences.
Perry, A.G., Potter, P.A. and Ostendorf, W., 2019. Nursing Interventions & Clinical Skills E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
West, A., 2018. After virtue and accounting ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(1), pp.21-36.
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Assessment Task Instructions
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Student details
Unit/Module details
Unit/Module Code HLTENN008
Title Apply legal and ethical parameters to nursing practice
Task title Assessment task 3: Case studies
Assessment
feedback /
comments
Re-submission
(where applicable)
Unsatisfactory tasks are
to be re-submitted
according to the details
below. Type NA if not
applicable.
Task (or component of task) to be re-
submitted
Additional evidence required Re-Submission date S
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Result for this
assessment task
Your final result for this unit will be provided on the Unit Result Record at completion of all
assessment tasks
Result Choose an item.
Assessor’s signature Date
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