Legal and Professional Issues In Nursing

Running head: LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN NURSING 1
Legal and Professional Issues In Nursing
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LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN NURSING
2
Nurses are continuously confronted with challenges in their line of work on daily basis and the
codes of ethics are very essential to uphold standard ethical and legal principles of conduct to
help nurses carry their work professionally in accordance to internationally and local standard
practises. Ethical principles are the right or wrong conducts in relation to one’s profession that
members of that profession are required to adhere to. Legal principles are the outline laws and
guidance that govern a given profession (Jackson & Daly, 2014) In order to deliver good nursing
service a nurse must adhere to the following ethical principles:
Justice is fairness: This is a principle code of ethics where nurses are expected to be fair when
they carry out their duty among the patients (Gould et al, 2016). In accordance to the Australian
nursing and midwifery codes of ethics as a nurse am expected to take care of Nancy with
complete fairness despite her condition just the same way I will do to other patients with
different conditions within my care.
Beneficence: This is the practice of doing what is right and good for the patient (Keleher et al,
2015). In accordance to the international law for nursing ethics as a nurse am expected to do a
good and right thing for Nancy as my patient. Given Nancy’s condition, I am required to
continuously monitor her closely to ensure that the behavior mentioned by Arthur such as
doubling faeces on the wall does not occur. This will be the right thing to do and that is good for
the patient well-being.
Nonmaleficence: According to historical Hippocratic oath Nonmaleficence is not harming the
patient either intentionally or unintentionally (Jackson & Daly, 2014). As a nurse who adhere to
Australian nursing and midwifery code of ethics my action or deed should not in any way harm