Unit 4 Assignment
Case Study Ethical Legal Dilemma Advanced Practice Nursing
Instructions:
-
Create an ethical legal decision-making dilemma involving an advanced practice nurse in the field of education, informatics, administration, or a nurse practitioner. Apply relevant codes of conduct that apply to the practice of nursing and your chosen field.
-
Include one ethical principle and one law that could be violated and whether the violation would constitute a civil or criminal act based on facts.
-
Construct a decision that demonstrates integrity and that would prevent violation of the ethical principle and prevent the law from being violated.
-
Describe the legal principles and laws that apply to the ethical dilemma.
-
Support the legal issues with prior legal cases or state or federal statutes.
-
Analyze the differences between ethical and legal reasoning and apply an ethical-legal reasoning model in the case study to create a basis for a solution to the ethical-legal dilemma.
-
List three recommendations that will resolve advanced practice nurses’ moral distress in the dilemma you have presented.
-
Based on the issue you presented and the rules of the law, apply the laws to your case and come up with a conclusion.
Note:
- This is a fact-based Assignment that will not include your opinion.
- This will require research and support for what is written.
- The Assignment should be in your words after reading the scholarly and fact-based publications and have proper citations. There should be no quotations. The professor wants to hear your voice as a masters trained nurse.
Assignment Requirements:
Before finalizing your work, you should:
- be sure to read the Assignment description carefully (as displayed above);
- consult the Grading Rubric (under the Course Home) to make sure you have included everything necessary; and
- utilize spelling and grammar check to minimize errors.
Your writing Assignment should:
- follow the conventions of Standard American English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.);
- be well ordered , logical, and unified , as well as original and insightful ;
- display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics ; and
- use APA 6th Edition format as outlined in the APA Progression Ladder.
I will attach the grading rubrics for this assignment.
For this assignment you will use the information you used for 506 Unit 2 Discussion Topic 1
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for your help
unit_4_assignment_rubric.xlsx
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this assignment, a nursing ethical-legal decision-making dilemma will be created involving an advanced practice nurse. The aim is to apply relevant codes of conduct that apply to the practice of nursing and the chosen field, describe the legal principles and laws that apply to the ethical dilemma, and analyze the differences between ethical and legal reasoning and apply an ethical-legal reasoning model to create a basis for a solution to the ethical-legal dilemma.
Answer:
1. Ethical Legal Decision-Making Dilemma:
An ethical legal decision-making dilemma involving an advanced practice nurse in the field of education can be that a nurse educator is teaching a class on medication management and emphasizes the importance of following medication administration times accurately. However, the nurse educator is also aware that some of the medications the students are administering are to some extent unnecessary, and in some cases, the timing of medication administration is not vital. Applying relevant codes of conduct that applies to the practice of nursing and education, the nurse would be violating the ethical principle of non-maleficence and beneficence by teaching something that might not be necessary.
2. Ethical principle and one law that could be violated:
The ethical principle that could be violated is non-maleficence and beneficence. The law that could be violated is the Nurse Practice Act, which monitors and regulates the practice of nursing. Violating the law would constitute a civil action based on facts.
3. Decision that demonstrates integrity:
To prevent the violation of ethical principles and the law, the nurse must ensure that only necessary medications are administered and that the timing of medication administration is essential. This decision demonstrates integrity because the nurse is putting the patient’s safety and well-being ahead of anything else.
4. Legal principles and laws that apply to the ethical dilemma:
The Nurse Practice Act regulates the practice of nursing and requires nurses to follow its principles. The nursing code of conduct, including the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses, also outlines the ethical principles that apply to the practice of nursing and must be followed by nurses. These legal principles and laws carry the force of law and have legal consequences if violated.
5. Support of legal issues:
To support the legal issues surrounding the ethical dilemma, nurses can refer to prior legal cases and state or federal statutes. For example, in 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court made decisions regarding several legal issues, including informed consent of medical procedures. Another example is the nursing code of conduct, which outlines how nurses must conduct themselves in the workplace to comply with the law.
6. Ethical and legal reasoning:
Ethical reasoning and legal reasoning differ in several ways. Ethical reasoning involves a person’s values and principles that influence their actions and decisions. Legal reasoning, on the other hand, involves interpreting and analyzing legal principles and laws that apply to the situation. To apply an ethical-legal reasoning model, a nurse must identify the ethical principles and legal regulations into account.
7. Recommendations:
Three recommendations to resolve advanced practice nurses’ moral distress in the dilemma presented include i) providing education on the importance of non-maleficence and beneficence, ii) encouraging nurses to be vigilant in reporting any suspected medication mismanagement or unethical practices, and iii) providing a clear reporting mechanism for nurses to report any violations.
8. Conclusion:
Based on the issue presented in this ethical legal dillema and the rules of the law, it is clear that nurses have a responsibility to uphold ethical principles and legal regulations in their practice. Violating these principles could result in legal consequences and affect patient safety. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that nurses receive education and support to make ethical decisions that prevent a violation of ethical principles, sticking to the law, and ensure patient safety.
