Professional, ethical and

legal issues of nursing.

Module 9
Ethical Issues
Principles
Respect for autonomy
Non-maleficence
Beneficence
Justice
Beauchamp & Childress (2001)
Ethical Issues
Rules
Truth telling
Confidentiality
Privacy

Beauchamp & Childress (2001)

Legal Issues
Human Rights Act 1998
Data Protection Act 1998
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Health & Safety Act 1974
Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Human Rights Act 1998
Right to life
Right not to be subjected to inhuman or
degrading treatment
Right to liberty and security
Right to respect for private and family life
Professional Issues
You are personally accountable for your practice. In
caring for patients or clients, you must;
Respect the patient or client as an individual
Obtain consent before you give any treatment or care
Protect confidential information
Cooperate with others in the team
Maintain your professional knowledge and competence
Be trustworthy
Act to identify and minimise risk to patients and clients.
Code of Conduct (NMC, 2004)

ACCOUNTABILITY


a formal obligation to disclose, what you have
done, why you did it and what the results of
your action were
(Lewis & Batey 1982)
The nurse is accountable to:
The patient (and family)

The public

The employer

NMC

And Oneself
civil law

criminal law

disciplinary process

remove from register
Informed Consent
Informed consent of a competent adult must be
obtained before any intervention

Groups who may be unable to give informed consent:
Infants
Some mentally ill patients
Some elderly patients
Unconscious
Critically ill
Neurological deficits

How do we obtain informed consent in the
following situation?
A patient is admitted to the Accident and Emergency
Department. He is unconscious and requires an
emergency operation. How will consent for this
intervention be obtained?
Confidentiality
Patients have an absolute right to confidentiality.

Exceptions:
Patient Consent
Public Interest
Statutory Law

How do the principles of confidentiality apply in
this situation?

A lorry driver is admitted to your ward
following an epileptic fit. He has been told by
the Doctor that he cannot drive and should
inform the DVLA and his employers. The
patient is worried about loosing his job and has
confided in you that as he is now well
controlled on his medication he is not going to
inform anybody and intends to go back to
work.
RCN 2003 Definition of Nursing
States:
Nurses should empower patients at ward level and
enable them to make choices.

The advocacy role is about partnership,
negotiation and power sharing.
Advocacy
A person who supports or speaks in
favour of another

A person who pleads for another

In nursing it is concerned with
promoting the well being and
interests of patients
QUESTION

Should a nurse caring for a diabetic support the
patients right to eat or drink whatever they like
regardless of the consequences?

Or should the nurse endeavour to ensure that
patients comply with dietary restriction?