Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of a Nurse Practitioner

National Center for Ethics in Health Care – Veterans AffairsA resource for addressing complex ethical issues in health care. The End-of-Life Nursing Consortium (ELNEC) ELNEC is a series of programs developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Current ELNEC modules include the core curriculum, pediatric palliative care, geriatrics and many others. There are also train-the-trainer modules. After a train-the-trainer course, a nurse can then offer an ELNEC course. The courses are comprehensive and provide all the necessary teaching materials. Courses are usually offered in blocks over two days. Autonomy means recognizing every patient`s right to self-determination and decision-making. As patient advocates, it is imperative that nurses ensure that patients receive all the medical information, training and options to choose the best option for them.

This includes all the potential risks, benefits and complications of making informed decisions. The core values of ethical nurses include honesty, integrity, reliability, objectivity and impartiality. They do not compromise their professional standards for any reason. For example, the ethical responsibility of a nurse collecting forensic evidence is to take the time necessary to do the job well, even if the cases pile up. Nurses also have an ethical obligation to disclose a conflict of interest and to withdraw from situations if they cannot remain impartial and fulfill their ethical obligations. The Ethics, Right and Duty of the Nurse to Respond to Disasters Fair and ethical nurses show the utmost respect for the worth and dignity of all patients. They provide high-quality care without judgment in any setting, as explained in „Ethical Considerations for Care.” The same positive assessment applies to friends and family involved in the patient`s life. Ethical nurses believe in social justice and fair treatment of patients.

Illegal and discriminatory practices will not be tolerated. They advocate for equitable health care systems and health programs that reach underserved populations. Rule 8. The nurse works with other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy and reduce health inequalities. In an aging population where technological interventions are rapidly increasing, end-of-life care is an important discussion. With multiple perspectives to consider, these resources serve to convey the breadth of nurses` experience and help them respect individual dignity and autonomy. Although the consequences of bioethics are not perceived by all nurses, it is important that they are aware of the enormous impact of these problems in a crisis. From Ebola to natural disasters, nurses can protect themselves and patients from obstacles by being aware of the latest threats. The Nurses` Code of Ethics with Interpretive Statements or „the Code” is an important tool for nurses now and in the future. While the core values of care do not change, the Code is regularly updated to reflect changes in the structure, funding and delivery of health care. It helps nurses ensure that care is always respectful, humane and dignified.

These values are often taken for granted by nursing, but are often challenged by gaps in health care in the United States and negative social determinants of health. In 22 states and the District of Columbia, NPFs have full authority to practice law, including statute-barring powers. In other states, NFPs must either work with a physician or complete a probationary period before obtaining a license to practice and prescribe. Nurses have a responsibility to themselves, their profession and their patients to adhere to the highest ethical principles. Many organizations have ethics committees to review ethical concerns. Nurses at all levels of practice should participate in ethics review in their target area. It is important to advocate for patient care, patients` rights and ethical consideration of practice. Ethical inclusion should begin in nursing school and continue for as long as the nurse is practicing. Table 1 provides descriptive information on the PA-PA analysis sample and shows the correlations between respondents` socio-demographic characteristics and their views on quality of care. The majority of the sample was female, NP and master`s level prepared with an average age of 44 years. Perceived better quality of patient care was associated with the number of years as a physician (p < 0.01), the number of years in the current position (p < 0.01), the attitude of practice (p < 0.05) and the percentage of clients of physicians with health insurance (p < 0.01) and private insured persons (p < 0.01). Practitioners felt that the quality of care was lower when their practice included a higher percentage of uninsured patients (p < 0.01) and those enrolled in Medicaid (p < 0.01).

„The Code” is an important tool for nurses of today and tomorrow. SEE CODE Caring for patients of all ages inevitably presents caregivers with delicate ethical dilemmas that have no clear or simple solution. As part of their training, nurses study the American Nurses Association`s (ANA) non-negotiable code of ethics to prepare them for difficult life-and-death challenges. Patient safety is a primary legal responsibility of nurses. The nurse is a mandatory reporter in case of suspicion of abuse or mistreatment of patients. Medication errors by a fellow nurse should be reported to the supervisor. Nurses must also practise under their licence. For example, an RPN is not allowed to perform RN tasks simply because the care facility is understaffed. Similarly, a registered nurse cannot perform treatments that are the responsibility of a nurse. A patient could be injured by an unqualified nurse – or someone who is impaired by drugs or alcohol – which is a serious ethical violation on the part of the nurse. The American Nurses Association`s (ANA) Center for Ethics and Human Rights was created to help nurses manage ethical and value conflicts, as well as life-and-death decisions, many of which are common in everyday practice.

The Centre develops guidelines that address ethical and human rights issues at the national, national and international levels. Through its highly visible information, activities and programs, the Centre promotes the ethical competence and human rights sensitivity of nurses in all practice settings and demonstrates ANA`s ongoing commitment to human rights. The above nine provisions have been implemented to help nurses make ethical decisions throughout their practice. Notably, more than forty percent of our respondents said that many patients need potentially unnecessary testing and treatment.