Examining Legal and Professional Issues in Nursing Ethics

This essay delves into the critical legal and ethical issues encountered in nursing practice. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to ethical principles such as justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, accountability, and respect for autonomy, highlighting their application in patient care. The essay underscores the necessity for nurses to uphold professional standards and legal guidelines to ensure patient well-being and ethical conduct. It uses the Australian nursing and midwifery codes of ethics as a framework for ethical decision-making, advocating for fairness, doing what is right for the patient, avoiding harm, accepting responsibility, and respecting patient autonomy. Desklib provides students access to this essay along with a wealth of resources, including past papers and solved assignments.

Running head: LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN NURSING 1
Legal and Professional Issues In Nursing
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation

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

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN NURSING
3
Nancy despite whether her condition make her act in a way that is not pleasing to me. I must act
within my legal frame work and restrains to ensure my patient is not harmed in any way with my
action or other external substances.
Accountability: This is the practice or act of accepting ones action. Nurses are expected to be
responsible for their nursing practices and care and other actions in relation to the practice
(Creegan, Duffield & Forrester, 2012). Under the Australian nursing and midwifery board
guidelines conduct statement 3, am expected to be responsible for Nancy actions and behavior as
long as she is within my care and any action that I take for the bitterness of Nancy health and
protection am accountable.
Respect for autonomy: this is the practice of accepting the patient as a unique individual who
has a right to make their own decision, right to express their opinion freely and their own
perspectives. The Australian nursing ethics board guidelines conduct statement 4 outline that
nurses should encourage their patients to make their own decision and in line to this guideline I
will encourage Nancy to make her decision on how she would like to be treated or how she
would like her care to proceed (Keleher et al, 2015). I will encourage her to freely speak her
opinion without fear on whatever matter she feel and pleases. As nurse I will let her know that no
one will judge her for decision or opinion and that her decision are appreciated and valued. I will
not make her do what she does not want or proceed with treatment she does not want.

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN NURSING
4
REFERENCE.
Creegan, R., Duffield, C., & Forrester, K. (2012). Casualisation of the nursing workforce in
Australia: driving forces and implications. Australian Health Review, 26(1), 201-208.
Gould, D., Kelly, D., Goldstone, L., & Maidwell, A. (2016). The changing training needs of
clinical nurse managers: exploring issues for continuing professional
development. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(1), 7-17.
Jackson, D., & Daly, J. (2014). Current challenges and issues facing nursing in
Australia. Nursing Science Quarterly, 17(4), 352-355.
Keleher, H., Joyce, C. M., Parker, R., & Piterman, L. (2015). Practice nurses in Australia: current
issues and future directions. Medical Journal of Australia, 187(2), 108.