Ethical and Legal Considerations in Nursing and Healthcare

This article discusses the ethical and legal considerations in nursing and healthcare, focusing on the importance of patient care, the role of ethics in decision-making, and the legal implications of drug addiction. It explores the conflict between ethical and legal actions and emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to navigate these complexities. The article also highlights the specific ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice, and how they apply to patient care. Additionally, it discusses relevant laws such as the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 and the Criminal Act 1995, and their potential impact on patient treatment and legal actions. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of providing fair and transparent advice to patients, especially older patients who require special care due to their sensitive bodies.

NURSING AND HEALTH
CARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Nursing and health care plays a major role in protecting as well as curing the lives of
many. The need of different age group varies as per the age group and also the lifestyle
(Noguchi. and et.al., 2019). Mavis is a 70 years old nurse, who is retired and is suffering drug
addiction. In which someone is giving her drugs which js causing her hear rate to increase and
blood pressure decrease. She has not even passed the urine for 9 hours. She is feeling confused,
anxious, frustrated, aggressive and saying I want to go home and I will be late for work. She
removes the dressing from the wound and the area starts bleeding. When I tried to help her by
washing her she says that I don't need help.
Main Body
ETHICS
It is the ethic of any doctor or care taker in the hospital to first treat the patient in the
emergency case and then go for any legal issue which is hindering the patient. Here in the case
Mavis's condition normal but in the morning the condition was abnormal in which her behaviour
changed outstandingly and surprisingly (O'Rourke, Thompson and McMillan. 2019). Mavis must
be treated well irrespective of whatever issue otherwise the problem will become bigger and
bigger and this may result in severe disorders in her body which may be irrecoverable in the
future due to infection. Mavis is a old patient and needs much intensive care because diseases are
more sensitive to the old body. After the check up it was found that her heart rate increased to 92
bmp which can cause her heart attack and also her blood pressure went down to 105/70 and the
temperature of the body went to 380.0 C. All these are the symbols of silent heart attack in which
the patient has very less time for the survival.
Beneficence is another ethic in which the patient must be given the best possible advice
for the treatment in which all the recommendation to the patients must be given considering all
the rules and procedures. The professionals must possess all the required skills and also required
knowledge. Updated training must be given to the practitioner in which the training should be
given using the latest equipments and latest material must be used for the treatment of the
patients. Here in the case it is seen that the professional is proficient and the proficiency can be
seen in the regular checking of the patient and regularly taking care of the patient.
The health care professional has shown the ethics of Autonomy in which the same asked
for the wash when the wound started bleeding by trying to persuade her but the ultimate decision
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is of the patient whether to accept the proposal or not (Cardillo, 2019) . The patients have their
own beliefs as well as values which must be respected by the professional. As per this ethic the
medical practitioner must provide the best advice for the betterment of the patient.
Non Maleficence is the ethic which follow the principal of no harm to the patient
(O'Rourke, Thompson and McMillan. 2019). This principal focus more towards the ethical
values rather than the legal values of the patients. Whether the other society or people can be
harmed by the treatment of the patient. If yes than other way must be find out to treat the patient
or its substitute must be find out which help the other people for their betterment of the health as
well along with the betterment of the health of their. For example if there is a patient who is
suffering from any disease which can infect the other patient as well as proper covering must be
given in order to protect the other patients from the infection (King Jr, 2019). This will help the
patient to protect from the infection and also other patient will be helped parallelly. Here in the
case the professional when found that it is good to close the door when Mavis opened here
clothes because it may be the case the body of her might be having the infection and the same
can be spread all across the hospital and the other patients can also be affected due to this.
Justice is another ethic in which the personal issues of the professional must not come
under the practice of a professional (Hamshire. and et.al., 2019). The practician should not be
partial in anything and must value each and every patient equally and with due care. For example
if there is a patient which is a relative or a close friend of the doctor and same is having disease
in which the patient instead of following the chain which other patients are following directly
contact the doctor. The doctor must deal with that patient with due care by equally valuing the
patients. The doctor must tell the friend that I am sorry you have to follow the rules and
guidelines of the hospital and you are welcomed for the treatment but only when your number
come. In the case irrespective of gender or age the professional took a right step by helping the
patient in whatever way the professional can.
LEGAL.
Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 is affected in the case in which the patient can be imprisoned for
possessing, selling or supplying, using, importing and also selling or supplying the drugs. If the
drugs are used by any person in any form such as driving, playing, eating etc (Ulrich. and et.al.,
2019). the same can be imprisoned for the specified period or legal action in the form of charging
any penalty can be made on the patient. Drugs are the illegal product which can lead to immature
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change in behaviour of the people in which the patient can damage their own body or the body of
others. The act is completely applicable under the case in which Mavis can be fit under the jail or
imprisonment or it may cause penalty for the patient. But it can be done later when the patient
gets well because if the patient situation gets worse than it can result in damaging the health of
the patients and which can cause Mavis in the worst situation.
Other act which can affect in the case is the criminal act 1995 in which if Mavis found
that the drugs were given to her without finding the need of the patient then the same can result
in taking legal action against the doctor or the practician-er (Koskenvuori, Numminen. and
Suhonen, 2019). The other parameters of the drugs will be checked in which the quantity of
drugs which is ideal for the patient who is old is checked and the same must be reflected towards
the patient (Leutgeb. and et.al., 2019). For example if the drug limit for a young patient is 5 mg
then the same limit must be given and if the limit for the old patient is 10 mg then the same must
be given. The limit is based on experiments and test so the same must be followed by the doctors.
The limit should not be crossed by the patients. What is the reason that the person gave low or
high dose of the drugs will also be determined and the same must be justified by that person.
Extra dose if given to the patient who is old can be affected in great amount because the old
patients requires intensive care and the same if not given then it can damage the cells of the brain
and which can result in loosing memory of the patients and also loosing thinking ability of them.
The best way under the case will be finding the actual person who has given drugs to Mavis and
the same has resulted drastically by change in the behaviour of Mavis. After finding that person
the same must be investigated what is the reason for giving the patient drugs if the reason is valid
and satisfying then the person can be relieved but if the person found guilty then the act will be
applicable to the same along with the desired action of the act.
There is a special section for the old people in which they must be given special
importance because their body is sensitive and their body also functions slowly as compared to a
normal person. If the doctors are found special importance is not given to the body then the same
can result in damage to the critical parts of the body. The old patients must be given proper care
by regularly checking whether they have taken food on time or not, whether they have taken
medicine on time or not and also whether they are doing workout out which is normal or not.
There are various other things as well in which the behaviour of them also plays a major role in
which how the old patients are feeling is checked regularly. Regular test such as blood pressure
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test, sugar test are also necessary for the old patients. A separate department must be there for the
old patient which must also have a separate team in order to deal with those patients. The
separate must be specialist and experienced which will help the patients to get the best treatment
possible from them. Always there must be extra availability for the patients which may in terms
of care, facility, advanced equipments etc.
Generally ethical principals conflict with the laws in which the ethical principals are the
are moral ways whereas the legal principals are the legal ways (Leutgeb. and et.al., 2019). The
thing which may be right as per the moral act may be wrong as per the legal act and the thing
which may be right as per the legal act. Here in the case there are two vision one is ethical and
one is legal. But if it is seen as per the ethical point of view than the thing which is done by the
practician er is absolutely right. If it is seen as per the legal eyes but ethical focus then it may be
wrong as per the consideration and the same is seen as per the ethical eyes with legal focus it
may also be wrong. It completely depends upon the vision and eyes of individual to individual. If
it is seen from the legal point of view in the case the patient must inform that due to the drug
intake it all happened but ethically it is not possible. The same has resulted in saving the life of
patient because instead of saving the life of patient the doctor have gone to the legal bodies than
must have took time and the time is the most important part for the patient. Even seconds plays a
major role in the life of patient. Legal actions are more focused towards what is legally right and
moral actions focus towards what is morally right. Both plays an important role but it is must for
a person to understand what is right and then act towards a particular situation because if there is
a need for a ethical solution then irrespective of the legal solution the same must be provided
promptly.
CONCLUSION
As per the study it is concluded that doctor plays a major role in the well being of the
society and they must be given importance. It is also the responsibility of the doctors to give fair
and transparent advice to the patients. The patients which are old must be taken due care of other
wise their body is sensitive in which bacteria can easily enter and easily harm the body of them.
The patients must be given proper care of checked on regular basis in order to protect their lives.
There is always conflict among the legal action and the ethical action in which one must judge
and act as per the situation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Noguchi, S. & et.al., (2019). Utility of the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment in
Japanese patients with nursing‐and healthcare‐associated pneumonia.Geriatrics &
gerontology international, 19(3), 177-183.
O'Rourke, D. J., Thompson, G. N., & McMillan, D. E. (2019). Ethical and moral considerations
of (patient) centredness in nursing and healthcare: Navigating uncharted waters.Nursing
inquiry, e12284.
O'Rourke, D. J., Thompson, G. N., & McMillan, D. E. (2019). Ethical and moral considerations
of (patient) centredness in nursing and healthcare: Navigating uncharted waters.Nursing
inquiry, e12284.
Cardillo, D. (2019). Passionate About Nursing Professional Development. Journal for nurses in
professional development. 35(1). 50-51.
King Jr, M. L. (2019). Changing the Mindset in Nursing Education. Compassion Fatigue and
Burnout in Nursing: Enhancing Professional Quality of Life, 207.
Hamshire, C. & et.al., (2019). The wicked problem of healthcare student attrition. Nursing
inquiry, e12294.
Ulrich, G. & et.al., (2019). Attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration in young healthcare
professionals. Journal of interprofessional care, 1-6.
Koskenvuori, J., Numminen, O., & Suhonen, R. (2019). Ethical climate in nursing environment:
a scoping review.Nursing ethics. 26(2). 327-345.
Leutgeb, R. & et.al., (2019). Potentially avoidable hospitalisations of German nursing home
patients? A cross-sectional study on utilisation patterns and potential consequences for
healthcare. BMJ open. 9(1). e025269.
Slettmyr, A., Schandl, A. and Arman, M., 2019. The ambiguity of altruism in nursing: A
qualitative study. Nursing ethics. 26(2). pp.368-377.
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