Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing
Ethics asses the values, morals, and principles of nurses. Legal codes or laws are rules established by our government. It’s important that nurses have a clear and comprehensive understanding of ethical and legal codes within their career. The understanding of these codes is essential for nurses to safely practice and to protect their patients. Nurses must abide by these principles or face the consequences of legal action. These principles include autonomy, utilitarianism, confidentiality, and many others. Autonomy is the agreement to respect ones right to determine a course of action, while utilitarianism is what is best for most people as defined in American Nurses Association. In order to give you a better understanding of these legal and ethical issues in nursing I will talk about two different issues that have sparked a great deal of controversy within nursing.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
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Where do we draw the line at deciding whether someone is being legally restrained or is being falsely imprisoned? “As well as an ethical imperative to prevent unjustifiable restraint, there is also a legal framework…” (Gallagher). Both legal and ethical issues on the discussion of restraints are talked about in the Nursing Times.net article; ethical issues in patient restraint. There are many different types of restraints including chemical, physical, and mechanical. When a patient is sedated it is a form of a chemical restraint. Physical restraint would be holding a patient down physically stopping them from leaving, while mechanical restraints include vest and bed locks. In order for a nurse to use any such restraint a physician’s order must be in place
With in the last two decades , more and more educators have come to accept the unit as the basis of organization of learning. They recognize the facts that learning in units more …show more content…
Felt difficulty 2. Its location and definition 3. Suggestion of a possible solution 4. Development of reasoning of the bearings of the suggestion 5. Acceptance / rejection 6. Reorganization of result as a basis of further experimentation or application, i.e., the conclusion
The great contribution to the development and the wide acceptance of the unit concept of learning was made by MORRISON
His 5 steps in the learning process , which are essentially HERBARTIAN , include 1. Exploration 2. Presentation 3. Assimilation 4. Organization 5. Recitation
More important than these steps is his mode of arranging content in to meaningful wholes or units ,and his procedure of making these whole contents function in the life of students . his development of unit concept was made in the field of secondary education Many other educators have made contribution to the development of the unit concept as it is known today . all these and others have made valuable valuable contribution to the development and the clarification of the unit concept.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
The nursing environment is full of situations under ethical and legal constraints. Therefore this study focused on
the knowledge, position and attitudes of nurses in relation to healthcare ethics and nursing legal regulations. We conducted
a pretest and posttest study using a specific questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of nurses who worked in a
healthcare system in Principado de Asturias, a northern state of Spain and were enrolled in a continuing nursing education
program about ethical and legal aspects in the nursing profession. The main findings suggest that nurses are very concerned
about situations that create ethical and legal conflicts but do not feel sufficiently trained. In general, they demonstrated sufficient knowledge to address the most frequent ethical and moral situations of nursing work, and the training received during
a postgraduate course in ethics and legislation provided them with greater knowledge and tools to solve the dilemmas In
conclusion, although the nurses have university-level education about professional deontology, bioethics and nursing legislation, they require periodic continuing education.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
Actitudes de las enfermeras en relación con la ética de la salud y las regulaciones legales de enfermería
Resumen: El ámbito de la enfermería está llena de situaciones clínicas que comportan limitaciones éticas y legales. Por ello,
este estudio se centró en demostrar el conocimiento, posicionamiento y actitudes de las enfermeras en relación con la las
regulaciones ético legales inherentes a la práctica de enfermería. Se realizó un estudio pretest y posttest, mediante un cuestionario específico administrado a una muestra de conveniencia de las enfermeras que trabajaban en un sistema de salud en
el Principado de Asturias de España, y que se habían inscrito en un curso de educación continua sobre los aspectos éticos y
legales en la de enfermería profesional. Las principales conclusiones indican que las enfermeras están muy preocupadas por las
situaciones que generan conflictos éticos y legales, pero no se sienten suficientemente capacitadas para resolverlas. En general,
demostraron conocimientos suficientes para hacer frente a las situaciones ético-morales más frecuentes del trabajo enfermero,
y la formación recibida durante un curso de posgrado en la ética y la legislación les proporcionó un mayor conocimiento y
herramientas para resolver otros dilemas éticos. En conclusión, aunque las enfermeras tienen conocimientos aprendidos en
la universidad sobre deontología profesional, bioética y legislación en enfermería, se requiere de una educación continua en
el ámbito ético-legal en enfermería.
Palabras clave: ética profesional, aspectos legales, regulación, educación continua
Atitudes das enfermeiras com relação à ética em saúde e às regulamentações legais de enfermagem
Resumo: O âmbito da enfermagem está cheio de situações clínicas que comportam limitações éticas e legais. Por isso, este
estudo se centrou em demonstrar o conhecimento, posicionamento e atitudes das enfermeiras com relação às regulamentações
ético-legais inerentes à prática de enfermagem. Realizou-se um estudo pré-teste e pós-teste, mediante um questionário específico
administrado a uma amostra de conveniência das enfermeiras que trabalhavam num sistema de saúde no Principado de Astúrias,
Espanha, e que se inscreveram num curso de educação continuada sobre os aspectos éticos e legais da enfermagem profissional.
As principais conclusões indicam que as enfermeiras estão muito preocupadas com situações que geram conflitos éticos e
legais, porém não se sentem suficientemente capacitadas para resolvê-las. Em geral, demonstraram conhecimentos suficientes
para fazer frente às situações ético-morais mais frequentes do trabalho de enfermagem, e a formação recebida durante um
curso de pós-graduação em ética e legislação lhes proporcionou um maior conhecimento e ferramentas para resolver outros
dilemas éticos. Em conclusão, ainda que as enfermeiras tenham conhecimentos aprendidos na universidade sobre deontologia
profissional, bioética e legislação em enfermagem, se requer uma educação continuada no âmbito ético-legal em enfermagem.
Palavras-chave: ética profissional, aspectos legais, regulamentação, educação continuada
1
Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, España
Correspondence: [email protected]
2
Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
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Nurse attitudes in relation to health care ethics and legal regulations for nursing – Marta Losa Iglesias et al.
Background
Ethics is taking an increasingly prominent place Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
in nursing education(1-3). It has been generally
accepted that nurses are confronted with unique
ethical problems that arise from their participation in patient care(4). Ethical knowledge helps
professionals justify what is or is not correct and
appropriate professional conduct. It also promotes respect for and promotion of the principles of bioethics and the rights of health services
users, which are crucial elements in humanized
care(5). Insufficient exposure to and/or inadequate knowledge of ethics in nursing education
programs has been cited as contributing to poor
socialization of nurses to their ethical responsibilities and a lack of commitment to ethics as a
professional priority(6). A legal disaster can occur every time they walk into a patient care area.
Many staff nurses still have minimal training in
the legal aspects of healthcare regarding issues
such as patient confidentiality and informed consent(7). Fortunately, when a nursing curriculum
sufficiently addresses ethics and legal aspects and
provides nurses with the tools to help them reflect
critically on what nursing care implies, nursing
education can contribute to the development of
nurses as skilled companions(8). Nurses have a
clear and undisputed legal, professional and ethical duty to provide their patients with competent
and safe care(9).
Healthcare professionals have always been encouraged to update their knowledge and maintain
clinical competence. For that reason, continuing
medical education is essential to the profession of
nursing. The rapid changes currently taking place
within healthcare systems have increased the pressure from direct care providers, professional bodies and the general public for nurses to participate in continuing education programs. Despite a
growing body of empirical research on this topic,
the effectiveness and impact of continuing education remains underexplored(10). It is important
not only to investigate the prior knowledge of
nurses about ethical and legal aspects, but also the
impact of postgraduate training on these issues.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
The purpose of this article is to identify the knowledge, position and attitudes of nurses in relation
to healthcare ethics and nursing legal regulations
and secondarily to evaluate the impact of an educational program about ethical and legal aspects
in nursing profession.
Material and methods
Design and setting
The study was a pretest/posttest study using a
descriptive survey administered to a convenience
sample of nurses who worked in hospitals and primary care in Principado de Asturias, a northern
state of Spain and enrolled in a continuing nursing education program about ethical and legal aspects in the nursing profession. This 5-day course
was held in the continuing education program of
The Official and Professional College of Nurses
at Principado de Asturias-Spain and certified by
a national educational agency. The course consisted of a number of theoretical sessions about
legal principles, regulations and ethical decisionmaking in nursing followed by a practical session
with real cases.
Participants
Subjects were drawn from nursing staffs of different hospitals and primary care health services
and who members of the Official and Professional College of Nurses at Principado de AsturiasSpain, the institution through which nurses are
registered in this state. The study took place from
July 1, 2011, to February 29, 2012.
Nurses were included in they were one of the 50
participating nurses and had worked for a minimum of one year in adult or pediatric services in
a public or private healthcare system. Nurses were
invited to participate in this research study by voluntarily completing the survey prior to beginning
the course and at the end of the course. Nurses
were excluded if they were retired or off duty due
to illness for more than one year at the time of the
survey of if they did not complete both surveys.
The final sample using the inclusion/exclusion
criteria was 43 nurses.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
Every day, patients, families and healthcare professionals face ethical and legal decisions. These difficult dilemmas may concern medical treatments, practices, hospital management and other matters that arise in the healthcare industry. Ethical issues in healthcare can require an immediate response, such as making decisions for patients when they are not able to do so, or can involve a prolonged, carefully considered decision, such as the debate over the right to abortion or assisted suicide. The actions taken in ethical issues in healthcare clearly distinguish between what is right and wrong, and often, many of the actions taken today can have lasting effects on healthcare in the future.
There are numerous ethical challenges clinical leaders, health practitioners and patients face in healthcare. Some examples of common medical ethical issues include:
1. Patient Privacy and Confidentiality
The protection of private patient information is one of the most important ethical and legal issues in the field of healthcare. Conversations between a physician and a patient are strictly confidential, as is information about an individual’s medical condition. Specific provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, define exactly what information can be released and to whom.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
2. Transmission of Diseases
The recent global outbreak of the Ebola virus put a renewed emphasis on the right of healthcare providers to protect themselves from communicable diseases, whether by direct or indirect contact with an infected patient. Ethical and legal questions arise when a patient’s health history is not provided to the medical staff.
3. Relationships
Sexual relationships between medical practitioners and patients or between medical staff are strictly forbidden at a healthcare facility. Sexual harassment can be harmful to all involved, including the facility, so the code of ethics should be explicit about this.
4. End-of-Life Issues
Terminally ill patients may have specific wishes about the way they want their lives to end. Families may struggle with the decision to end life support for a loved one. Healthcare practitioners and clinical leaders need to be prepared to handle end-of-life issues as well as problems encountered in dealing with elderly patients who may not be able to make rational decisions on their own.Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay
Ethical Issues in Healthcare in an Online MBA Program
The rapid growth of the medical industry in the United States has created an increasing demand for skilled clinical leaders who understand the complexity and challenges of health systems, practices and ethical issues. An online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with a specialization in healthcare management includes general management along with accounting and marketing strategies. Typical foundational courses in an online MBA program in healthcare management include legal and ethical issues in healthcare. An MBA graduate in healthcare management will be ready to improve patient care from a business perspective at the departmental or organizational level. Trends On Ethical Issues In Nursing Essay