Legal And Ethical Practice And Confidentiality - NCLEX-RN

Nonmaleficence. This principle obligates nurses to prevent or minimize harm, forming the basis for safe practice and risk assessment.

Report through the chain of command per policy. Reporting via protocol ensures patient safety, legal compliance, and addresses potential impairment or illegal activity.

Suspected child abuse or neglect. Laws require reporting to protect vulnerable populations, overriding confidentiality to prevent further harm.

Notify the facility legal/risk department and follow policy. Involving legal or risk management ensures compliance with laws and protects against unauthorized release of information.

Disclosure for treatment, payment, and health care operations. HIPAA permits these disclosures as essential for care continuity, billing, and operational efficiency without needing explicit consent.

Use or disclose only the least PHI needed for the purpose. This HIPAA rule limits information sharing to essential details, protecting patient privacy while allowing necessary access.

Safeguarding patient information from unauthorized disclosure. Confidentiality upholds patient trust and privacy rights by preventing breaches that could lead to harm or discrimination.

Notify provider, explain risks, document, and have AMA form signed. These steps respect autonomy while ensuring informed decision-making, legal protection, and documentation of risks.

Autonomy. This principle respects the patient's right to make independent choices, central to ethical nursing practice.

Fidelity. This principle emphasizes reliability in maintaining therapeutic relationships and fulfilling professional obligations.

Justice. This principle ensures equitable distribution of care and resources, preventing discrimination in healthcare delivery.

Beneficence. This principle guides nurses to actively promote positive outcomes and well-being in patient care decisions.

Durable power of attorney for health care. This legal instrument appoints a proxy to act on behalf of an incapacitated patient, ensuring decisions align with their preferences.

Advance directive is patient-made; DNR is a provider order. Advance directives express patient wishes directly, while DNR orders are medical directives issued by providers based on those wishes or assessments.

Consent inferred from patient actions in noninvasive care. It assumes agreement based on voluntary participation in routine, low-risk procedures without explicit verbal or written permission.

Notify the provider and document the refusal. Immediate notification and documentation protect patient rights and ensure legal safeguards against claims of abandonment or negligence.

Witness signature and assess voluntariness and capacity. Nurses verify that the patient signs willingly and has the mental capacity, ensuring legal and ethical compliance.

The provider performing the procedure. The responsible provider must explain the procedure, risks, and alternatives to ensure the patient's understanding and voluntary agreement.

To protect the patient’s right to self-determination. Informed consent ensures patients are fully aware of risks, benefits, and alternatives, upholding autonomy in decision-making.

Negligence. This term applies when a nurse's failure to meet the standard of care results in potential harm, breaching professional duty.

Duty, breach, causation, damages. These elements form the foundation of proving malpractice, requiring evidence of obligation, violation, direct cause, and resulting injury.

Battery. This intentional tort occurs when physical contact is made without permission, violating patient autonomy and rights.

Assault. This intentional tort involves creating a reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful contact, even without physical touch.

False imprisonment. This tort violates patient rights by unlawfully restricting freedom of movement, often through restraints or threats.