Report: Ethical and Legal Frameworks in Nursing Practice

This report delves into the critical aspects of nursing ethics and legal frameworks, providing a comprehensive overview of ethical principles, codes of ethics, and codes of conduct within the nursing profession. It addresses the challenges of balancing conflicting ethical principles, differentiating between ethical principles and codes of ethics, and applying a decision-making framework to real-world scenarios. The report emphasizes the importance of ethical decision-making in healthcare, particularly in situations involving patient welfare, autonomy, and informed consent. It analyzes ethical dilemmas, such as a scenario involving premature birth and the doctor's decision-making process, highlighting the need for adherence to ethical guidelines and the application of a structured framework to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. The report concludes with a summary of the key findings and emphasizes the significance of ethical practice in the nursing profession.

Codes of Ethics and Law of
Nursing Profession

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MIAN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Way of balancing conflicts between ethical principles...............................................................1
Difference between ethical principles and the Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct in terms
of their purposes, objectives and functions.................................................................................2
Application of decision making framework to a scenario problem............................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4
.........................................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Ethics are moral principles which followed by persons to perform actions. There is huge
role of such ethics or moral principles in building of persons behaviour. Determination of one's
ethics help in gaining information about behaviour and working pattern. It is must for everyone
to adhere moral correct principles. This was the reason that ethical code of conducts were framed
to adhere during the performance of functions. This has beneficence in getting of positive results
where nothing will harm to anyone's interest. In current period of time, there is huge need of
adopting ethical norms, principles and code of conducts by all the different individuals of society
for brining harmony in actions. Similarly, this has to be adopted within all business organisations
so nothing immoral could be done that has negative impact over society or any party's interest.
Presence of ethical values within an organisation ensures adherence of morally correct procedure
by all employees irrespective of the diversity (Schmidt, MacWilliams and Neal-Boylan, 2017).
This further aid in gaining of positive results and support of society towards actions which are
morally correct in nature and not suppressing the interest of any party. It is important to adhere
ethical principles and moral values in all different industries but this has major relevance in
healthcare industry because its activities are directly related to the life of a person. The main aim
of this report is also to gain information on ethical decision-making framework within healthcare
professional workings.
The aspects covering in this report includes way of balancing conflicts between ethical
principles, difference between ethical principles and the Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct
in terms of their purposes, objectives and functions and application of decision making to a
scenario problem.
MIAN BODY
Way of balancing conflicts between ethical principles
Ethical principles are like standards which are needed to adhere for performance of
morally correct activities. It is important to adhere all different principles because all are separate
from other and having their own contribution in exercise of ethnicity. The main five principles of
ethics are Non-maleficence, Justice, Beneficence, Autonomy and informed consent and
Truthfulness and confidentiality. It is occurring many times in different situations that ethical
principles contradict with each other and creates conflicts in a mind of prosper regarding
1

performance of action. There is need to cope up with this conflict situation and focus over ways
that will help to overcome from same. These ways are presented below;
Focus over welfare: In case, there is contradiction between the ethical principles as per
the conditions arise due to the situation then always focus over performance of actions that has
positive impact over society or other different parties having interest in same. The aspect of
welfare and working in beneficence of parties is always supported and determined correct in
nature. This way of performing actions will help in getting rid of contradictions and confusions
along with completion of work on time.
Selection of most relevant principle: In case, there is a contradiction between two
ethical principles in some particular situation then focus over performing action with adhering
one that has most amount of relevance in overall scenario. This aid in further justification of
work by referring the points associated with principle (Silva and et al., 2018).
Difference between ethical principles and the Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct in terms of
their purposes, objectives and functions
The difference between all three is presented below on the basis of purposes, objectives
and functions;
Particulars Ethical Principles Codes of Ethics Codes of Conduct
Purposes The main purpose of
these is to provide
standards on which
whole working is
based.
The main purpose of
these is to support in
functioning of actions
as per their particular
ethical nature.
The main purpose of
these is to direct over
ways of performing
actions.
Objectives Main objective is that
any action not goes
beyond to the ethical
framework.
Main objective is to
perform work as per
ethical practice.
The main objective is
attaining optimise
level of performance.
Functions Focuses over
adherence of all
principles during
performance of one
Focuses over
particular ethical
practice that
specifically related to
Focuses over way of
performing
2

action nature (Snelling,
(2016).
Application of decision making framework to a scenario problem
Application of different steps over scenario is presented below;
Identify issues and collect information: The main problem is premature birth of
children and perception of doctor that there is less chance of survival or if survived then must
having disabilities. This so because similar case happened with doctor itself where his child is
suffering from disabilities. Also, doctor has opinion that parents are young and can do other
other babies in future. In keeping all this as base, doctor took the decision to kept the child in
own facility where it died.
Evaluate the issues: If something happened with doctor child then not necessary to be
repeat again with other child in same situation. Also, Mary Jones who has experience in neonatal
care said she saw similar cases where babies survived and healthy. She also said there is need to
shift the baby to other facility but denied by doctor.
Action - What to do in practice: Here, in actual needed to transfer the baby to other
facility as neonatal care expert Mary Jones said. She has experience in own field and expert care
in other facility will help to save the life of a child.
Implement: Here, they have to keep the baby at facility till it not attains the normal
delivery age.
Assess outcomes: This step will must help to save the life of a child (Tisdale and
Symenuk, 2020).
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above report that ethics is important to adhere as help in
performing effective level actions that always transfer positive results. There are many
determinants exist that help to be ethical in nature includes ethical principles, codes of ethics and
codes of conduct.
3

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Schmidt, B. J., MacWilliams, B. R., & Neal-Boylan, L. (2017). Becoming inclusive: a code of
conduct for inclusion and diversity. Journal of Professional Nursing. 33(2). 102-107.
Silva, T. N. D. & et al., (2018). Deontological aspects of the nursing profession: understanding
the code of ethics. Revista brasileira de enfermagem. 71(1). 3-10.
Snelling, P. C. (2016). The metaethics of nursing codes of ethics and conduct. Nursing
Philosophy. 17(4). 229-249.
Tisdale, D., & Symenuk, P. M. (2020). Human rights and nursing codes of ethics in Canada
1953–2017. Nursing Ethics, 0969733020906606.
4