Nurses' Bill of Rights

1. Nurses have the right to practice in a manner that fulfills their

obligations to society and to those who receive nursing care.
2. Nurses have the right to practice in environments that allow them to act
in accordance with professional standards and legally authorized scopes of
practice.
3. Nurses have the right to a work environment that supports and
facilitates ethical practice, in accordance with the Code of Ethics for
Nurses and its interpretive statements.
4. Nurses have the right to freely and openly advocate for themselves and
their patients, without fear of retribution.
5. Nurses have the right to fair compensation for their work, consistent
with their knowledge, experience, and professional responsibilities.
6. Nurses have the right to a work environment that is safe for themselves
and their patients.
7. Nurses have the right to negotiate the conditions of their employment,
either as individuals or collectively, in all practice settings.
8. Nurses have the right not to be abused in any form by physicians,
pharmacists, administrators or nursing directors. Any abuse that occurs should
be delt with in a professional and in partial manner by the nurse's employer.
9. Nurses have the right not to be exploited and abused by being floated to areas
of practice that they are not familiar with.
10. Nurses have the right to refuse any assignment that they feel is unsafe. Such
as when a nurse is assigned a patient load he/she feels is unsafe. A nurse is
assigned to work in an area of nursing in which he/she is not familiar. A nurse
knows that equipment/supplies are inadequate or not available.

Nurse as a witness rule

 - Maybe considered as 1) Ordinary witness
2) Expert Witness
- Ordinary witness: One who can testify as to the conditions or
circumstances present in the issue or surrounding the case.
-Expert witness: One who can testify on the issue by giving his opinion or
advice from the facts presented.
-A witness can only testify on matters he/she has direct knowledge of.
He/she can only give facts based on personal or direct knowledge.
-Expert testimony applies only to such matters with in the domain of
medical science and not to matters that are within common human knowledge
which may be testified to by anyone familiar with the facts.
-Expert witness is always qualified as to his degrees, honors, publications,
number of court testimonies, knowledge, skill, training and experience.
-2 Types of Expert witness:
a.) Percipient or fact witness: One who gives opinion based on
actual facts or knowledge.
b.) Non-percipient or non-fact witness: One who is not involve with
the subject but asked questions bad on hypothetical situations.
-to ensure credibility of expert opinions, the basic parameters are: a.) they
must base on reliable and valid evidences; b.) they are guided by a sound and
scientifically tested methodology.
- An ordinary or expert witness, a nurse must do the ff:
a. Meet with the lawyer to get the idea of the matters/issues he/she
going testify and the documents he must prepare and present to the court.
b. review all patient’s records, documents, dispositions and
affidavits.
c. Testify only on matters of which he has direct or personal
knowledge.
d. Not to volunteer any information by answering only the questions
being asked.
 Example: A physician who treated or conducted the actual
examination of the subject can make opinion on personal knowledge and
actual findings about the subject.