2. Terminologies
Competent: adequately qualified.
Judicious: sensible; prudent
Conducive: leading to some end
Collaborate: work in combination
Conscience: moral sense of right and wrong
Contemporary: living or occurring at same time
Deterrent: frightening or hindering
Submissive: surrendering: obedient
Ethics : refers to the moral code for nursing
Legal - established by or founded upon law or accepted rules
Law : law means a body of rules to guide human action
3. Legal System
Legal - Established by or founded upon law or official or accepted
rules .
Law
• The term law is derived from its tentoric root lag which means
something which lies fixed or events
• Law means a body of rules to guide human action
• Law means ―that which is laid down or fixed.
4. Law- Definition
The law is a system of rights and obligations which the state
enforces.
By Green
The law constitutes body of principles recognized or enforced by
public and regular tribunals has the administration of justice
• By Pound
5. Sources Of Law
Constitutional law: - it is a judgmental law. Law
that governs the state. It determines structure of state,
power and duties.
Common law:- it is a body of legal principles that
evolved from court decisions.
Administrative law: - rules and regulations
established by administrative agencies made by
executives of government.
6. Purpose
To help the nurse to understand that they do have legal responsibilities in
nursing practice.
To make them understand by which authority these legal responsibilities can be
enforced.
To make them understand what areas of nursing practice can mostly create
legal problems.
To describe and protect the rights of clients and nurses
Law is there for the protection of nursing practice
Law is there for the identification of the risk of liability
Law is there to assist in the decision-making process involved in nursing
practice
Another important purposes are
• Safeguarding the public
• Safeguarding the nurse
7. Law Affecting Nurses
Nurse practice laws and designs the legal boundaries of nurse
practice act within each state
Administrative law Created by administrative bodies such as
state board of when they pass rules and regulations. Developed
by groups who are appointed to governmental administrative
agencies. E.g. Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act; Social Security Act;
Nurse Practice Act Statutory law Created by elected legislative
bodies such as state legislatures
Enacted law Include all bills passed by legislative bodies whether
local, state, and national
8. Types Of LAW
Comparative Law : The comparative lawyer works with
international relations in trade and commerce, travel, government
business, and many other areas depending upon the breadth of
his/her knowledge and the needs of his/her employer. The field of
comparative law is one in which there is a great deal of
opportunity for advancement and challenging work. -
Public law : Public law is the body of law that governs the
relationship between the individual and the state, as distinct from
civil law (or `private' law) which governs the relationships
between individuals. Public law is often taken to be divided into
`criminal', `constitutional' and `administrative' branches, although
these are not distinct in all jurisdictions.
9. Family law: Family law attorneys deal
specifically with laws having to do with family
matters. There are multiple facets to each instance
of representation required and knowledge of
individuals and their family histories are necessary.
Criminal Law : Criminal Law involves just
what the label implies - people accused of crimes.
Contract law: Contract law covers obligations
established by agreement (express or implied)
between private parties.
10. TORTS
The word Tort is derived from French word of the
same spelling which means "mischief, injury, wrong, or
calamity", from Latin tortus meaning twisted
It is a civil wrong committed on a person or property
stemming from either a direct invasion of some legal
right of the person, infraction of some public duty, or the
violation of some private obligation by which damages
accrue to the person.
Some torts specific to nursing and nursing practice
include things like malpractice, negligence and violations
relating to patient confidentiality.
11. Categories/Types Of Torts
Intentional torts : they are deliberate or willful actions in which
the intent is to cause injury to a person or property. Intentional torts
have several subcategories, including torts against the person,
including assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction
of emotional distress, and fraud.
Property torts involve any intentional interference with the
property rights of the claimant(plaintiff). Those commonly
recognized include trespass to land, trespass to chattels(personal
property), and conversion
Intentional torts include things like false imprisonment, assault,
battery, breaches of privacy and patient confidentiality.
12. Contd…………..
Assault: This is the causing of an apprehension of an immediate harmful, offensive or
unauthorized contact to a person and a willful attempt or threat to injure.
Battery: Is the harmful, offensive or unauthorized touching of another person. Health
professionals should realize that procedures ranging from bed baths to medication
administration to surgical interventions involve touching.
False Imprisonment: An act or failure to act by the defendant that confines the
plaintiff to a confined area. False imprisonment does not necessarily require physical
force.
Invasion of Privacy: Invasion of privacy is the intrusion into the personal life of
another, without just cause.
Disclosure of Information is somewhat similar to invasion of privacy. It occurs when a
client's problems are inappropriately discussed with any third party.
Defamation of Character: Defamation is an act of communication that causes
someone to be shamed, ridiculed, held in contempt, lowered in the estimation of the
community, or to lose employment status or earnings or otherwise suffer a damaged
reputation.
13. Unintentional Torts: These are accidents that cause injury to
another person or property. They involve failure or breach of
nursing duties that lead to harm.
Unintentional torts include things like malpractice and
negligence
Negligence : Is the failure to meet an ordinary standard of care,
resulting in injury to the patient or plantiff. Malpractice is one of
the example of negligence.
Malpractice: It is a type of professional liability based on
negligence and includes professional misconduct, breach of duty
or standard of care, illegal or immoral conduct or failure to
exercise reasonable skill, all of which lead to harm.
14. Professional Negligence Or Malpractice
Five elements:
Duty
Breach of duty
Forseability
Causation
Injury or harm
15. Common Sources Of Negligence & Practice
Medication errors that result injury to patient
Burns caused by equipment or spills of hot
liquids
Falls resulting in injury to patients
Errors in sponge ,instrument ,needle, count in
surgery cases
Failure to give adequate report , notify
physician, adequate monitoring the patient
16. LEGAL STANDARD FOR NURSES
INFORMED CONSENT
DOCUMENTATION
EXECUTING PHYSICIANS ORDER
GOOD SAMARITAN LAW
PATIENT EDUCATION
PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION
17. LEGAL ISSUES IN NURSING
Confidentiality
Lama
Advance Directive
Rape Victims
Patients Properties During Admission
Surrogacy
Abortion
Dying Declaration
Autopsies
Organ And Tissue Donation
18. LAGAL ROLE OF NURSES
Provider of Service :Ensure that client receives competent, safe, & holistic
care
Render care by ―standards of reasonable, prudent person
Supervise/evaluate that which has been delegated
Documentation of care
Maintain clinical competency
Responsibility of appointing and assigning
Responsibility in quality control
Responsibility for equipment
Responsibility for observation and reporting
Responsibility to protect public
Responsibility for record keeping and reporting
Responsibility for death and dying