Week 4 Article Summary and Review Essay
Choose one of the articles below, and address the essay prompt associated with it. You will need to log in to the WCU library to access the full article.
Park, M. (2009). Ethical issues in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Law, 13(3), 68-77. doi:10.1891/1073-7472.13.3.68
Link: Ethical issues in nursing practice
Essay Prompt: Identify primary areas for legal and ethical issues faced by oncology nurses in this study (Park, 2009), and strategies they may have developed to work with those ethical issues.
Or,
Croke, E. (2006). Nursing malpractice: determining liability elements for negligent acts. Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting, 17(3), 3.
Link: Nursing malpractice: determining liability elements for negligent acts
Essay Prompt: Identify primary problems that led to the malpractice suits (Croke, 2006), and identify the role the nurse played and what the nurse did wrong.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction: As medical students, it is important to be aware of legal and ethical issues that may arise in our practice. These issues can have serious consequences and it is our responsibility to understand and follow the appropriate guidelines to prevent them. In this assignment, we will analyze two articles that address legal and ethical issues in nursing practice.
Answer:
The article “Ethical issues in nursing practice” by Park (2009) identifies several primary areas for legal and ethical issues faced by oncology nurses. These issues include informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, end-of-life care, and conflicts between personal beliefs and professional responsibilities. To work with these ethical issues, the oncology nurses have developed strategies such as seeking guidance from peers and ethical committees, maintaining open communication with patients and families, and making sure to follow the legal and ethical guidelines set by healthcare institutions.
The article “Nursing malpractice: determining liability elements for negligent acts” by Croke (2006) discusses the primary problems that led to malpractice suits against nurses. These problems include failure to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare professionals, improper documentation, and failure to recognize and respond to changes in patients’ conditions. The nurse’s role in these malpractice suits is often one of negligence or failure to meet the appropriate standard of care. In these cases, it is important for nurses to maintain open communication and documentation, and to follow the appropriate guidelines to prevent malpractice suits from arising.
