Chapter3LegalEthicalAspects

taking responsibitlites for ones actions.

permission to do what is usually not permitted in other circumstances.

actions and beliefs approved by a particular group of people.

rules of right and wrong from an ethical point of view.

a committee formed to consider ethical problems.

are rules of conduct that are established by our govt.

results when a law or court decision is challenged in the courts and the judge affirms or reserves the decision.

written statement expressing wishes of the patient regarding future consent for or refusal of trmnt if the pt is incapable of participating in decision making.

challenging a court decision. a higher court will judge whether the original decision is affirmed or reversed.

personal or individual conditions (life, liberty) guaranteed by the constitution, bill of rights, and federal or regulatory law.

mentally and emotionally able to understand and act (make choices).

specific drugs with a potential for abuse, such as narcotics, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives.

a violation of public law.

a person accused of violation of public law (crime) or civil law ( tort).

the monetary award to an injured plaintiff when the defendant is found responsible for the injury.

a person under 18 yrs of age who is legally considered an adult, usually because of marriage, parenthood, or enlistment in the armed services.

a serious crime that may result in a prison term of more than a year.

a person designated by the pt to make health care decisions when the pt is incapacitated.

responsibility to pay or compensate for a loss or injury that results from one's negligence.

lawsuits; legal process to prove facts of a dispute.

a failure to do, or doing, what a prudent (reasonable) pofessional would or would not do; results in harm or injury to a pt who is in the professional's care.

a policy that protects nurse from expense of defending self from lawsuit; will pay the amt awarded up to policy limits if nurse is found guilty of malpractice.

legal assignment of ability to make health care decisions for another person. similar to a health care agent.

a less serious crime than a felony; may result in fines, imprisonment of 1 year or less or both.

a failure to do what a prudent person would do, or doing what a reasonable person would not do; results in harm or injury to another.

a person who belives he or she has been injured by the actions or another, and seeks to prove it in a court of law.

legal action to allow a person to conduct business matters for another.

a judicial decision that is used as a guide to interpreting the law and deciding cases afterward.

one that requires confidentiality; trust info gained in the relationship will not be made public.

a legal term for a law.

a violation of a civil law, a wrong against an individual.

come from agencies created by the legislature to write regulations or rules that control the profession and its practice.

licensure is required to practice nursing in the US and each state writes its own laws and regulations regarding licensure.

recognition of one state's nursing license by another state.

held to the same standards as a licensed nurse.

the assignment of duties to another person.

which can be done to an unlicensed person such as a nursing assistant.

rules as defined in nursing procedure books, institutional manuals of policies and procedures and protocols and nursing journals that outline current skills or techniques.

not to report another professional's misconduct.

a law that was passed in 1970 to improve the work environment in areas that affect the workers health or safety.

a law passed in 1973 that defines child abuse and neglect as "any recent act, or failure to act that results in imminent risk of serious harm, death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or expoitation of a child by a parent or caretaker who is responsible for the child's welfare.

making a decision or treating a person based on a class or group to which he belongs, such as race, religion, or sex, rather than on his individual qualities.

defined by the Equal Employee Opportunity Commission as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

those that protect health care professional from liability if she stops to provide aid in an emergency.

an unexpected patient care event that results in death or serious injury (or risk thereof) to the pt.

a stategy that reduces the likelihood of critical patients being lost.

kept private, only people directily associated with the care of that pt have legal access to the information in the chart.

permission, given by the pt or his legal representative. legal documents that record the pt's permission to perform a trtmnt or surgery, or to give info to ensure companies or other health care providers.

one who is legally fit (mentally and emotionally)

a legal form used to excuse one party from liability.

responsibility.

a consent that has been constructed before the need for it arises. It spells a pt's wishes guarding surgery as well as diagnostic and therapeutic treatments.

a document that gives legal power to a health care agent (surrogate decision maker), who is a person chosen by the pt to follow the pt's advance directives and make medical decisions on his behalf.

surrogate decision maker.

orders written by a physician when the pt has indicated a desire to be allowed to die if he stops breathing or his heart stops.

the obligation to use due care. duty to monitor the condition of the pt for who she is caring.

failure to use due care. fails to check vital signs or condition of the pt after surgery or a nurse begins cpr on a pt who has dnr.

action or inaction by the nurse causes the injury, or harm to a pt.

one who speaks for and protects the rights of the patient.

simply defined as failing to do something a reasonably prudent (sensible and careful) person would do, or doing soemthing a reasonably prudent person would not do.

the threat to harm another, or even to threaten to touch another without that person's permission.

the actual physical contact that has been refused or that is carried out against the persons will.

when one person makes remarks about another person that are untrue and the remarks damage that other person reputation.

two forms of defamation.

occurs when there has been a violation of the confidential and priviledged nature of a professional relationship.

preventing such a person from leaving, or restricting his movements in the facility.

mechanical such as locks, rails, belts, or garments that prevent a person from getting out a room, bed or chair or drugs.

often used to document what happened, the facts about the incident and who was involved or witnessed it.

rules of conduct that have been agreed to by a particular group.

the act of ending another person's life, w/o the person's consent, to end actual or potential suffering.

reporting illegal or unethical actions and the provision of care.

behavior that promote excellence in pt care and the profession. they promote values such as dignity, honesty, integrity, and compassion.