Legal And Ethical Decision Making Report

Running head: NURSING 1
Legal and Ethical Decision-Making
Name
Institution

NURSING 2
Legal and Ethical Decision-Making
Professional practice can be described as the conduct of an individual or their behavior at their
place of work. Professional nursing practice is described as the ability to care and show
compassion towards patients during the delivery of care. It is built on strong ethical practices that
include respect, moral integrity, collaboration, privacy, and confidentiality (Butts, 2013). Nurses
have an ethical and legal obligation to protect the privacy of their clients and the confidentiality
of all client information. Confidentiality in the health field limits the access to information
discussed between a practitioner and their patient. The law requires that any information
discussed between a patient and their doctor must be kept private between the two parties unless
under some circumstances that may require such information to be revealed. Privacy in the
health field requires that any records about a patient’s condition, prescribed medication, and any
other personal information must be kept private and can only be shared with the consent of the
patient (Guido, 2013). Some of the laws that govern health professionals with regards to
confidentiality and privacy include the Australian Privacy Principles, Privacy Act 1981, the
Commonwealth Privacy Act, and common law. These laws state that a practitioner must not
disclose personal information of the patient and the patient can sue for breach of confidentiality
if they can prove that the breach caused harm. Privacy and confidentiality are part of professional
nursing practice and nurses must develop a comprehensive policy to ensure they respect patients’
privacy and confidentiality.
The purpose of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights is to define and explain the rights of
patients and consumers of the Australian healthcare system. These rights are essential for
patients and health practitioners because they ensure that everyone involved in care shares an
understanding of the rights of healthcare consumers (Australian Commission on Safety and