nursing skills chpt 3

laws enacted by federal,state, or local legislatures

statute that legally defines the unique role og the nurse and differentiates it from that of other health care practitioners

legal provisions through which federal, state, and local agencies maintain self-regulation

regulatory agency for managing the provisions of a state's nurse practice act

decisions based on prior similar cases

(stare decisis) let the decision stand

an act in which bodily harm is threatened or attempted. Can be physical intimidation, remarks, or gestures.

• unauthorized physical contact
• (can include touching a person's body, clothing, chair, or bed)

interference with a person's freedom to move about at will without legal authority to do so

devices or CHEMICALS that restrict movement

• failure to leave people and their property alone
• this includes taking pictures w/o consent

an act in which untrue information harms a person's reputation

character attack uttered orally in the presence of others

damaging statements written and read by others

unintentional injuries caused by a person

• harm that results because a person did not act REASONABLY.
• (Reasonableness is based on the jury's opinion of what constitutes good common sense.)

professional negligence---best method to avoid this charge is competent nursing and applying "the Golden Rule".

a contract between a person or corporation and a company willing to provide legal services and financial assistance when the policy holder is involved in a malpractice lawsuit.

• provides legal immunity to passerby who provide emergency first aid to accident victims.
• note: medical personell are still held to a higher standard

designated time frame within which a person can file a lawsuit

If a client is forewarned of a potentiakl safety hazard and chooses to ignore the warning, the court may hold the client responsible.

The medical record is a legal document. Nurses are held responsible or liable for information that they either include or exclude in reports and charting.

process of identifying and reducing the costs of anticipated losses. The primary tool for this is the incident report.

a written account of an unusual, potentially injurious event involving a client, employee, or visitor

• 1. when the incident occured
• 2. where it happened
• 3. who was involved
• 4. what happened
• 5. what actions were taken

personal, handwritten account of an incident

moral or philosophical priciples that direct actions as either right or wrong.

a list of written statements that describe ideal behavior

a choice between two undesirable alternatives

• an ethical theory based on final outcomes.
• basically, "the end justifies the means"

• ethical study based on duty or moral obligations.
• basically, "decisions must be based on the morality of the act itself"

• doing good or acting for another's benefit
• ie...proventing or removing any potentially harmful factor

means doing no harm or avoiding an action that deliberately harms a person

refers to a competent person's right to make his or her own choices without intimidation or influence

means the duty to be honest and avoid deceiving or misleading a client

being faithful to work-related commitments and obligations

treating clients impartially without descrimination

all clients have the right to complete and accurate information

safeguarding a person's health information from public disclosure

written statement indentifying a competent person's wishes concerning terminal care

an written instructive form of an advance directive

designates a proxy for medical decisions when the client becomes so incompetent or incapacitated that he or she can't make decisions independently

how health care personel are required to manage care in case of cardiac or respiratory arrest

ie...DNR