Law and Ethics in Nursing: Principles and Decision-Making

This article discusses the key principles of ethics in nursing and how they impact decision-making. It explores the legal obligations and authority in healthcare, including the importance of informed consent and substitute decision makers. The article also highlights the ethical considerations in healthcare practice.

Law and ethics in nursing

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Nurses in turn are considered to be as advocates for the patients who tends to focus on
finding balance at the time of delivering care to the patient (Avery, (2016)). The key principles
of ethics associated with the nursing are justice, autonomy, beneficence and non- maleficence.
Healthcare ethics are practical application of the standards which helps in benefitting the interest
of the patient. The health care practitioners must in turn focus on adhering to the code of
conduct, ethical standards and various legal laws in order to carry out care function with utmost
accuracy.
MAIN BODY
1. Doreen ‘hated the idea that she might not be able to take care of herself in prison’.
Identifying one value that has been reflected in this statement. Describing how it affects
decision-making of Doreen’s.
Mindfulness and independence in turn is considered to be as one of the core value which
in turn states that Doreen tends to highly hate the concept of not taking care of herself. With
mindfulness the decision making procedure in turn tends become very thoughtful and focus on
cognitive exercise (Atkins, De Lacey, Ripperger, & Ripperger, (2020)). This helps in taking very
accurate decision rather than having impulsive decision to the immediate needs of the patient. It
is considered to be as one of the most creative concept which helps in solving various set of
problem. Hence, Advance Health Directive considered to be as a legal document helps individual
person in taking decision according to how you want your treatment to be carried out.
2. Bea ‘wants everything possible to be done to get Doreen better’. Identifying one value that is
reflected in this statement and describe it. Describing how it affects Bea’s decision-making in
comparison to Doreen.
Caring is considered to be one of the core value which in turn has been reflected within
this statement from Bea’s in order to provide better care and treatment to the Doreen. Bea’s tend
to focus on providing Doreen with the best possible medical treatment which in turn helps in the
attainment of the best possible results by taking informed decision associated with the care of
Doreen. This value is considered to be as the central within the health and social care (Johnstone,
(2016). This helps in supporting the patient with the best possible intervention and medication.
Caring helps in providing the best possible treatment to the patient by choosing best from the
wide set of options available.
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3. Discussing whether the decision which has been made by Molly is reliable with Article 5
Autonomy and individual responsibility.
The Dorreen’s condition was deteriorating and she has developed acute renal failure and
respiratory failure. Doreen was taken into the operating theatre for inserting the pacemaker.
Hence, this procedure was abandoned and she has been transferred to the ICU for the renal
dialysis and artificial ventilation (Johnstone & Facn, (2019)). The autonomy of the individual to
take decision and in turn also taking responsibility for the same. The Dorreen has taken decision
that she doesn’t want to alive she in turn cannot take care of herself. Dorreen tends to have an
AHD. The decision taken by the Molly to document this data in Dorreen’s record that, she will
not receive CPR in the happening of cardiac arrest event. Hence, the decision taken by the Molly
is absolutely right. This way it will help Molly to comply with the Article 5 of Autonomy and
individual responsibility where the decision of the Doreen will be taken into consideration.
4. Discuss whether the decision made by the MET is consistent with Article 7 Persons without
the capacity to consent.
Article 7 is referred to as a plea where the person without the capacity i.e., the individual
person who does not have the capability to consent have human dignity. Hence the dignity of the
individual person is not usually dependent on quality of the Doreen’s autonomy. It is considered
to be very useful in protecting the dignity and human right of an individual. Doreen has been
becoming cyanosed. All over there are various nurses which has been taking into consideration
by the Medical Emergency team (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, (2017)). However, the Medical
Emergency team in turn has arrived manually and promptly where the Doreen has been
ventilated via her trache. However, the heart rate of the Doreen’s has been dropped out to the 25
beats per minute. Data in Dorreen’s record that, she will not receive CPR in the happening of
cardiac arrest event. Hence, within few minutes Doreen was asystolic and however she died.
However, the Dorreen was not in the condition to take proper decision and Medical emergency
team has made the right choice and acted in compliance with the ethical laws and standards
(Snelling, (2016)). It is considered to be very crucial for taking consent from the patient in order
to undergo specific treatment and is well aware of the risks, benefits and various other set of the
alternative treatment.
5. Provide a rationale for the legal obligation to obtain consent for Doreen’s tracheostomy
even though she doesn’t have decision-making capacity.
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Tracheostomy insertion is very useful in providing assistance and comfort at the time of
weaning Dorreen from the ventilator. This in turn has helped Doreen in taking informed decision
by taking small range of instructions (Chadwick, & Gallagher, (2016)). The health care
practitioners must focus on taking informed set of decision which has even helped me in better
understanding of the various set of ethical issues and are subject to the human rights. The key
principles associated with the informed consent are beneficence, justice and autonomy (What are
the Basic Principles of
Medical Ethics? . 2020). There is high degree of legal obligation to take consent from the patient
that what kind of treatment the patient should receive or not. However, the collaborative decision
making of the friends and family members, patients and health care practitioners within the
procedure of legal and ethical obligation related with the health care providers (Ellershaw,
Fullarton, Rodwell, & Mcwilliams. (2016)). Taking action without the informed consent of the
patient is considered to be as a malpractice within medical system and is considered to be as an
unethical legal practice.
6. Does Prison Governor Vera Bennett have legal authority to provide consent for Doreen’s
pacemaker insertion? Support your answer with Queensland legal authority.
Yes, Prison Governor Vera Bennett have legal authority to provide consent for Doreen’s
pacemaker insertion because he tends to witness all the legal documentation work of the patient.
Doreen has complained of having short breath and was also clammy and nausea. Pacemaker
insertion is considered to be as a small device which in turn is placed in the chest in order to
control the various abnormal rhythms of the heart (Doran & et.al. (2015)). Pacemaker is
considered to be very useful in using various electrical pulses in order to help heart to beat at the
normal rate. This procedure is however performed under the local anaesthesia. Doreen has been
an inmate at Queensland Correctional Facility so they in turn have all the legal authority to take
all the legal decision on behalf of the Doreen.
7. Which of the stakeholders in the scenario have legal authority to provide consent for the
insertion of Doreen’s tracheostomy? Support your answer with Queensland legal authority.
Prison Governor Vera Bennett in turn is considered to be as one of the key stakeholder
who in turn tends to have legal authority to provide consent for the insertion of Doreen’s
tracheostomy. The governor has the legal authority to take informed decision on behalf of the
Doreen for the better care results and outcomes of the patient (Atkins, De Lacey, Ripperger, &
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Ripperger, (2020)). Doreen has been an inmate at Queensland Correctional Facility so they in
turn have all the legal authority to take all the legal decision on behalf of the Doreen.
8. Doreen completed her AHD in the presence of the prison doctor. What does the doctor need
to determine to ensure that Doreen had decision-making capacity at the time it was completed?
Support your decision with Queensland legal authority.
The decision of the patient in turn is considered to be very relevant which helps in
providing relevant set of information which in turn helps in improving the quality of the
decision. The doctor in turn needs to make sure that the patient must be in his complete sense
which signing up for the AHD and is taking decision within complete mindfulness and individual
responsibility (llershaw, Fullarton, Rodwell, & Mcwilliams. (2016)). It is very useful for the
doctor to make sure that the patient has complete knowledge related with the specific AHD. The
prison doctor must be given complete knowledge associated with the AHD in order to take
informed decision by Doreen.
9. Discuss whether Dr Molly Bean can rely on Doreen’s AHD as a valid refusal of CPR.
Yes, Dr Molly Bean can highly rely on Doreen’s AHD which in turn is considered to be
as the valid refusal term for the CPR. The health conditions of the Dorreen’s has been declining
and she could not perform the task on her own. This in turn is considered to be as one of the
major source which in turn eventually leads to maintaining the confidentiality and respecting the
decision making of the Doreen’s. Health care practitioner’s not taking informed consent from
the patient in turn is considered to be as the medical malpractice on behalf of the doctor (Daly,
Speedy, & Jackson, (2017)). Hence, it is considered to be as one of the valid term for refusing
the cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the patient.
10. With reference to the Healthcare Principle, describe the factors Doreen’s substitute
decision maker must consider when making decisions about her healthcare.
Bioethicists tends to often offer four basis key principles within the health care system at the
time of evaluation of the medical procedures. However, for the medical practice in turn to be
considered ethically right within the medical procedure. Justice, beneficence, autonomy and non-
maleficence in turn are considered to be as the four key principles related with the nursing (What
are the Basic Principles of
Medical Ethics? .2020). Moreover, proportionality and health maximization and efficiency in
turn are considered to be as the key principles associated with the health care ethics. The
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substitute decision maker of the Doreen must in turn tends to highly focus on respecting the
autonomy of the patient where the Dorreen in turn has mentioned that, he does not want to live if
he cannot perform the task on his own. Doreen in turn must have complete autonomy of
intentions, thoughts and actions when making appropriate decision related with the health care
(Chadwick, & Gallagher, (2016)). However, the decision making procedure in turn must be free
from coercion in order to make complete decision related with the benefits and risks related with
the specific treatment.
CONCLUSION
From the above it has been concluded that, Mindfulness and independence helps in taking
very accurate decision rather than having impulsive decision to the immediate needs of the
patient. Caring is considered to be one of the core value helps in the attainment of the best
possible results by taking informed decision associated with the care of Doreen. Article 5 of
Autonomy and individual responsibility states that, patient has full anonymity to take informed
decision. It has been concluded that, Article 7 is considered to be as a plea where the person
without the capacity to consent have human dignity. Bioethicists tends to often offer four basis
key principles within the health care system i.e., justice, beneficence, autonomy and non-
maleficence. Proportionality and health maximization and efficiency in turn are considered to be
as the key principles associated with the health care ethics.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Atkins, K., De Lacey, S., Ripperger, B., & Ripperger, R. (2020). Ethics and law for Australian
nurses. Cambridge University Press.
Avery, G. (2016). Law and ethics in nursing and healthcare: an introduction. Sage.
Chadwick, R., & Gallagher, A. (2016). Ethics and nursing practice. Macmillan International
Higher Education.
Daly, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2017). Contexts of nursing: An introduction. Elsevier Health
Sciences.
Doran, E & et.al. (2015). Managing ethical issues in patient care and the need for clinical ethics
support. Australian Health Review, 39(1), 44-50.
Ellershaw, J., Fullarton, C., Rodwell, J., & Mcwilliams, J. (2016). Conscientiousness, openness
to experience and extraversion as predictors of nursing work performance: a facet‐level
analysis. Journal of nursing management, 24(2), 244-252.
Johnstone, M. J. (2016). Key milestones in the operationalisation of professional nursing ethics
in Australia: a brief historical overview. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The, 33(4), 35.
Johnstone, M. J., & Facn, P. B. R. (2019). Bioethics: a nursing perspective. Elsevier.
Snelling, P. C. (2016). The metaethics of nursing codes of ethics and conduct. Nursing
Philosophy, 17(4), 229-249.
Online
What are the Basic Principles of
Medical Ethics? .2020. ONLINE]. Available through<
https://web.stanford.edu/class/siw198q/websites/reprotech/New%20Ways%20of%20Making
%20Babies/EthicVoc.htm>
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