Analyzing Legal Requirements in Student Nursing Placement Case Studies

This assignment presents and analyzes three case studies concerning legal requirements for student nurses during their placements. The first case involves a student nurse's inappropriate behavior and physical altercation with a patient, highlighting the importance of therapeutic relationships and professional conduct. The second case discusses a newly registered nurse's alcohol impairment and the ethical obligation of colleagues to report such behavior to protect patient safety. The final case examines a student nurse's theft of a patient's necklace and the legal requirements for safeguarding patient possessions. Each case study includes a discussion of relevant legal requirements, implications for healthcare facilities and education providers, and personal reflections on ethical considerations and practical challenges. The assignment emphasizes the critical role of student nurses adhering to legal and ethical standards to ensure patient well-being and maintain the integrity of the nursing profession. Desklib offers similar solved assignments and resources for students.

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Legal Requirements on Student Nursing
Placement- Case Studies
Introduction
Legal requirements set standards for student nurses to regulate their practice on placement.
Student nurses require to behaviour appropriate on their placement to uphold patient dignity and
enhance their learning experience. Student nurses need to work to promote, maintain and restore
patents’ health while strictly adhering to legal requirements and following health facility or
education instructors procedure (Fitzgerald, Burrell, and Bull, 2012). Being a student nurse is
challenging though it offers a golden opportunity to practice whatever has been learnt in school.
The following write up is a discussion and reflection of three different case scenarios relating to
student nurses, education provider and health facility legal issues. The first case study involves a
poor relationship between a student nurse and a patient. The second case scenario involves
student nurse misconduct while on placement and the third case study is about an education
provider/RN facilitating student when a student nurse steals a patient necklace. The essay will
discuss the legal requirements for student nurses, implications for health facility or education
provider and my reflection on the case scenario.
Case 1
Introduction
In this case study, a student nurse engages in a heated exchange with her patient. The heated
exchange led to the student nurse slapping the patient and walking away. The student is seen by
another patient who is being walked back to her bed. The student nurse is upset and starts crying
and requests that not one is told about the incident. The issues in this scenario are; student nurse
disrespect to patient, poor student nurse relationship, unprofessional communication with the
patient and not reporting the matter to the health facility or education provider. The following
scenario raises several legal issues within the law relating to nursing and nursing student.

Legal Requirements Discussion
First, the student nurse failed to establish and uphold an effective therapeutic relationship with
her patient. The student nurse failed to engage professionally by establishing an effective
therapeutic relationship with the patient that led to heated exchange to an extent of the student
nurse slapping the patient. According to Standard 2 of Registered Nurses Standard of Practice, a
nurse are to establish, sustain, and conclude patient-nurse relationship in a professional way and
has boundaries with personal relationships. Nurses are also required to communicate effectively
and show respect to a patient’s culture, rights, dignity and values (Richardson, Percy, and
Hughes, 2015). This Standard of Practice is complemented by Conduct Statement 2 of Code of
Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. This Conduct Statement 2 states that a nurse
should practice according with standards of the nursing profession and the health system
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Professional standards, 2018). The second legal
requirement in the scenario is that nurses practices and conducts themselves within laws that are
relevant to practice and profession of nursing as stipulated under Conduct Statement 3 of Code
of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. This Conduct Statement requires a nurse
witnessing unlawful conduct of another nurse or co-worker to take the responsibility of reporting
to the appropriate authorities to safeguard public interests.
The education provider is implicated to train the student nurse on how to establish therapeutic
relationship with the patient. This therapeutic relationship will enable the student nurse relate
professionally and respectful to patient hence avoiding heated exchange that result to assaults
(Rosenberg and Gallo-Silver, 2011). The health facility is implicated to punish the student nurse
for not upholding Codes of Conduct for Professional Nurses in Australia and acting contrary to
Standards of Registered Nurse Practice.
Reflection
In the case study, I reflect on a situation where a student nurse in engaged on a heated
conversation with a patient. The student nurse was grieved by the patient and slapped her patient
and then walked away. The student nurse broke into tears and tried to cover up the incidence not
to be known by others and the authority. This situation was shocking how a student nurse would
get into such a heated exchange with a patient. I think there was something personal that terribly
occurred between the patient and the nurse and should not have been allowed to happen. It was

wrong for the student nurse to engage in a heated discussion with a patient. Secondly, it was
wrong for the student nurse to slap the patient and walk way. It was also wrong for the student
nurse to try and cover up by telling me not to tell anyone. From this situation, the student nurse
did not undertake her role professionally that led to poor therapeutic relationship and
communication. As a nurse, she should have established and maintained a respectable and
effective professional relationship with the patient that would be aimed to promoting and
restoring patient’s health. Therefore, the student nurse failed in a role as nurse in terms of code
of conduct and standard of practice and should be ready to learn how to relate with patients. This
will ensure the student nurse doesn’t conduct herself in a professional manner while working in
with patients. From the scenario, I have learnt nurses have a role to establish therapeutic and
professional relationship with patients. These relationships enhance effective nursing practice
and ensure nurses don’t get into heated conservations or end up assaulting patients. I have also
learnt that a nurse witnessing unlawful conducts has an obligation to report the nurse to the
authority. Therefore, I will focus on establishing therapeutic relationship with patient and report
unlawful acts in my future career as a nurse.
Conclusion
From the case study, the student nurse failed to conduct herself within the law. She got into
heated exchange, slapped the patient and walked away leaving the patient. The student nurse
acted against the Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses and Codes of Professional
Conducts for Nurses in Australia. She did not engage in professional and therapeutic relationship
while working with the patient that is an important requirement in nursing Standard of practice. I
have learnt nurses have an obligation to report unlawful co-workers as outline in Codes of
professional Conducts for Nurses in Australia. Therefore, the student nurse need to be taught
how to establish and engage in therapeutic and professional relationship with patients by the
education provider or health facility.
Case 2
Introduction
The following case study involves a scenario where a nurse is sharing flat with a newly
registered nurse and has noticed that she is drinking regularly after a relationship break up. The

newly RN was even charged with driving while drunk and she picked them from the police
station. The nurse wanted to report the issue to the NUM after discussing with them but she
didn’t want the issues reported. The newly RN also reported to an early shift while smelling
alcohol and looked affected by the alcohol. The issues in this scenario are a registered nurse
reporting to work while drunk and reporting the behaviour change to the NUM. These issues
have several legal requirements for registered nurses in Australia.
Legal Requirements Discussion
First, the newly registered nurse behaviour to report on duty while drunk is a misconduct and
against the professional standards of nursing practice. The Standard 3.1 and 3.4 of the Registered
Nurse Standards for Practice require RNs to be accountable and responsible for ensuring that the
working conditions are safe and has capacity for practice. A nurse should consider and respond
to health and wellbeing of others in timely manner in regard to capacity for practice (Ion et al.,
2015). A RN should also accept accountability for actions, behaviour, responsibilities and
decisions inherent to them and actions of other practitioners who they have duties together
(Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – Legislation, 2018). The second legal
requirement is Conduct Statement 2 section 3 of Codes of Professional Conducts for Nurses in
Australia (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Professional standards, 2018). The
conduct statement outline that nurses have a primary responsibility of providing competent and
safe nursing care and any compromising of professional standards, unlawful or unethical
practice, or observation of a questionable situation should be made known to appropriate
authority or person. Another legal requirement is mandatory notification as stipulated on Health
Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 section 140 and 141. The law states that a
registered practitioner with notifiable conduct should be reported if they practices their
profession intoxicated either by alcohol or drugs. I will therefore be required to report the
student nurse for her behaviour change and reporting on duty drunk.
Impairment of nurses by indulgence to alcohol presents significant risks to health welfare and
safety of the nurse, colleagues, and compromises their duty of care to patients (Peacock, Bruno,
Martin, and Carr, 2013). The health facility is implicated to identify, support where possible, and
notify National Agency of Registered Practitioners (Monroe, and Kenaga, 2011). The heath

facility through the NUM can support the newly registered nurse to overcome her current
situation that is causing her drink alcohol heavily.
Reflection
In the case study, I reflect on a situation where a newly registered nurse flatmate is drinking
alcohol heavily following a relationship break up. The nurse was arrested for driving while drunk
and I picked her from the police station. The nurse also reports to duty while drunk and in all
cases asks me not to report to NUM. This scenario is displeasing considering the impact that the
nurse behaviour has to her body, co-workers, and the health of the patients. According to me, it’s
unethical to report on duty while drunk. It also bad not to admit that something is not right and
there is need to report in order for one to get help. I feel it dishonest not to report unlawful action
in nursing practice. It’s therefore advisable to report a nurse’s impairment even when they don’t
want it to be reported because they aren’t in full control or aware of their condition. This is
because when one is in a problem might fail to realize it and the harm thy pose to others. This
situation could also be solved by requesting the nurse to request for a time off of duty to relax
and get in terms with her break up. This will help her have time to reflect about hr current
situation and need to abide with standards of practice and codes of conducts in nursing practice.
In further, I will report any instances of change of behaviour of a co-worker to the in charge
person or authority even without need to discuss with them.
Conclusion
From the case scenario, a victim of impairment doesn’t realize that they present significant risk
to others in health care system. Alcohol causes impairment that compromises professional
nursing practice as required by law and regulations. The newly registered nurse should be
reported to the NUM because of her notifiable conducts to support her to change to avoid risking
co-workers and patients’ lives while on duty.
Case 3
Introduction
The case scenario involves a nursing student and a registered nurse/educational provider where a
student nurse picks a patient’s valuable. The student nurse picked a patient’s necklace and when

asked she returned it. The case study issue is a student nurse taking patient properties when they
are receiving care.
Legal Requirements Discussion
The legal requirements for a nurse in relation to a patient possession is to take reasonable
security as indicated in the Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. To be specific,
the Conduct Statement 8.8 requires nurses to take reasonable measures or steps that ensure safety
and security of persons’ possessions and properties when receiving care (Nursing and Midwifery
Board of Australia - Professional standards, 2018). This professional conduct promotes and
preserves the privilege and trust inherent between nurses and individuals receiving care
(Jokelainen, et al., 2011). Taking patient’s valuables can also lead to an investigation launched in
accordance to section 160(1) (a) of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009
(National Law). Therefore a nurse taking patient possession is viewed as professional
misconduct (Henderson et al 2012).
The registered nurse is implicated to train the student nurse to understand professional conduct in
nursing practice (Broadbent et al., 2014). The RN can also outline criminal charges for taking
valuables for a person receiving care. This will make the student nurse to change her behaviour
before enrolling as a registered nurse to practice her career as a nurse.
Reflection
The case scenario involves a student nurse taking a necklace of a patient receiving care. It a
professional misconduct for nurse to take patient’s possession. I think the student need to be
taught the importance of professional conduct of taking reasonable steps to protect patient’s
possession while receiving care. I feel it unethical to dishonour professional trust inherent to
nurse-patient relationships. The student nurse did the right thing to return the necklace when
asked because failure to which would have led to investigations in accordance to section 160(1)
(a) of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (National Law) (Fitzgerald,
Burrell, and Bull, 2012). This case scenario has enabled me to understand the importance of
briefing student nurses to take reasonable measures to keep patients’ possession safe. I have also
learnt that it important for RN to show student nurses how to keep and promote the respect that is
inherent in patient-nurse relationship. The trust is important for establishing and maintaining
therapeutic relationship (Newton, Billett, and Ockerby, 2009). This professional nursing

relationship enables nursing to deliver patient cantered care. The RNs have a role in training
student nurse to attain professionalism in nursing practice (Levett-Jones et al., 2008). In my
future career as a RN, I will brief student nurses on why it a professional misconduct to take
patients’ possessions while they are receiving care on priority. This will enhance professionalism
of the student that I will train in their placement.
Conclusion
From the case situation, it a professional misconduct for a nurse to take patients’ possessions
when receiving care. The Codes of Professional Conducts for Nurses in Australia Statement 8.8
requires nurses to take all required measures to safeguard patients’ possession. Safeguarding
patient’s possession promotes trust that is inherent between nurses and patients. Therefore, it
important for student nurses to understand professional codes of conducts in nursing practice to
enhance their professional and therapeutic relationships.

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