Chapter 23 Intro

defines nursing and reflects the values of the nursing professions

reflect the knowledge and skill oridinarily possed and used by nurses to perform within their scope of practice

prohibits the transfer of patients from private to public hospitals without appropriate screening and stabilization
intended to prevent patient dumping

provides rights to patients and protects employees

state laws intended to protect citizens, make nurses accountable and assure that care is consistent with best practice within the scope and standards of nursin g
licensure -> ensures same care throughout every hospital, evidenece-based for best practice
nurse licensure
nurse licensure compact -> one license can allow to practice in multiple states

the patient

the surgeon

explanation of the procedure
the names and qualifications of people performing and assisting the procedure
a description of the serious harm, including death, that may occur and the anticipated pain and/or discomfort
an explanation of alternative therapies and the risks of doing nothing
knows that he or she has the right to refuse the procedure or treatment without discontinuing other supportive care
knows that he or she may refuse the procedure or treatment even after the procedure has begun

limit liability and offer legal immunity if a nurse helps at the scene of an accident
must be within the scope of practice
you should only provide care that is consistent with your level of knowledge and experience

laws affect individuals, populations, and communities
are intended to improve the health of people

laws vary by state
know your state's laws and ensure that your practice falls within the laws' requirements
don't ever help anyone -> outside of scope of practice
nurse role = listen and control the pain

determines actual death
nurses can decalre pt dead in certain states
TN = physicians decalre

staffing and nurse-to-patient ratios = adequate staffing is required to ensure pt safety and satisfaction
nursing assignments = if floated to different floor than normal, must inform nurse you are not educated on unit
patient abandonment = a nurse refuses to care for a pt after having established a patient-nurse relationship, must refuse the assignment before starting it
nursing delegation = RN educates, observes, and verifies that a nonregistered nurse can do specific task that is usually RN task

performance of procedures within the role and expectations of the role of an RN - just as a registered nurse would do

conduct that falls below the generally accepted standard of care of a reasonable prudent person
don't feel like taking vitals so makes them up

a type of negligence; the person being held liable for malpractice must be a professional
not implimenting a pressure injury or fall prevention protocol
not checking a patient's id correctly before administering blood and giving blood to wrong pt

what a reasonablyprudent nurse would do under similar circumstances in the geographical area in which the alleged breach occured

contract between an insurance company and a nurse or employer that is intended to cover costs incurred when a patient sues the employer and/or the nurse

when a case that invovles nursing care is filled, a nursing expert will often testify about the standard of nursing care as applied to the facts of a case

in addition to being aware of the actions taken at the organization level by your employer, it is important that you remain involved in the nursing profession to reduce your personal legal risk

programs help to reduce a nurse's legal risk for malpractice and negligence because they help to identify potential hazards and eliminate them before harm occurs
in-services to ensure usong medical device right or washing hands properly

used when medication and other types of errors are committed
important to use objective forms of communication when describing an incident
always use objective and factual language to report

these can be changes on patient's requests
guidelines for health care team
"Yes I can help" -> but call social services or admin to come fix or change

written defamation of character
this includes charting

occurs when one speaks falsely about another
telling people pt has gonorrhea and it affects their business