Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Nursing

Running head: NURSING ASSIGNMENT
NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

(student name and number)1
Introduction
Development in healthcare interventions has brought multiple positive improvements
in the healthcare system and serves millions of people around the world (Fischer 2016). This
advancement and improvements are targeted for growth and development of patient’s
services so that the affordability and achievement of critical aspects could be effectively
identified (Veruggio, Operto and Bekey 2016). Laws and ethics works as critical aspects of
this system as it concerns the prerogatives and responsibilities of the healthcare professionals
working in healthcare facilities as well as for the rights of the patients (Øye, Sørensen and
Glasdam 2016). The primary aim of this paper, therefore, is to analyse the legal and ethical
responsibilities and accountabilities of the nursing professionals that they practice every day.
Case study 1
While discussing the first case study, ethics and compliance to it becomes the most
important aspect to nursing process. As per Fischer (2016), it is the responsibility of nursing
professionals to maintain ethical and legal rights of the patient while providing them holistic
care. In this case study, it was seen that the patient did not wanted the student nurse in the
ward with the registered nurse, however, despite that, the RN instructed the student nurse to
visit the ward and observe the patient conditions (Keane 2017). Therefore, this is the scenario
directly indicates towards the complication of ethical violation and non-compliance to the
ethical code of conducts for any nursing professional, as in this scenario, the RN violated the
ethical right of the patient associated with informed consent. As per the Nursing and
Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has mentioned that it is the responsibility of nursing
professionals to uphold the moral responsibilities and values so that while providing effective
care to the patients they could maintain the dignity and equal rights of the patients effectively
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2018). These codes and guidelines are developed

(student name and number)2
and implemented upon the nursing professional so that starting from student nursing
professionals to the registered nurses, could comply and follow them for maintaining the
quality of care and maintain patient dignity (Schildmann et al. 2019). Further, legislations
such as the Health Ombudsman Act Queensland 2013 has also been implemented so that
upon registering any complaint regarding such ethical violations proper legal action could be
taken against both student and registered nursing professionals (Health ombudsman bill
2013). Further as per the guidelines provided by the Australian Health Practitioner
Regulation Agency (AHPRA), it is important for the nursing professionals to provide
ethically effective care to the patents so that all the vents related to ethical violations could be
controlled (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency 2018).
In such conditions, the implications for health facility and education provider is to
providing detailed and thorough training to its student nursing professionals so that after they
take charge of the care process, they could effectively maintain this process (Karnik and
Kanekar 2016). Further, the healthcare providers should also arrange educational sessions for
the registered nursing professionals so that they could understand the effectiveness of it and
implement it in their care process (Epstein and Turner 2015). Hence, these would be the
implication of this condition.
Reflection
Description
While working in the clinical facility, I also faced one ethical violation related
condition. While collecting vital signs primary assessment of a patient suffering from high
fever and dysentery in general ward, I was asked to take blood sample of that patient. Upon
seeking consent, the patient denied for blood sample collection, however I knew that this

(student name and number)3
blood sample would help us to understand the reason of his high fever. Hence, I took the
blood sample and was unable to respect the patient consent.
Feelings
After I collected the blood sample, I retrospect upon my activity and then realized that
I should have asked or seek help from the supervisors or registered nursing professionals
working around me, as my action was against the ethical code of conduct. However, I
realized that the action I performed was for the benefit of the patient and for his faster
wellbeing. Hence, these was a critical situation for me to handle.
Evaluation
I evaluate my action as violation of patient’s rights of autonomy and hampering his
dignity. I was asked by the hospital management so that they could understand the reason of
it and when they realized I violated this for the benefit of the patient, they categorized my
ethical violation related incidence as lower grade and then suspended me for 2 weeks so that I
could understand the effectiveness of it.
Analysis
Upon analysing the complete scenario, I understood that my lack of experience and
understanding was the primary reason for this complication and I was much more aware of
the wellbeing and health complication of the patient, than about his ethical and legal rights
(Fischer 2016). Hence, this event helped me to understand that in any adverse condition, it is
important to communicate the concerns to the senior nursing professionals so that with fastest
recovery, ethical compliance could also be achieved (Barlem and Ramos 2015).
Conclusion