Legal Responsibilities of a Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Responsibilities of a Nurse - Essay ExampleFrom this paper it is clear that nursing laws state that a absorb should act as an intermediary between the physician and the patient. Nurses have to c befully monitor the patient and report to the physician if some(prenominal) abnormality is observed. A nurse is legally responsible for interpreting the patients charts and files and thereby identifying what allergic reactions the patient may develop against different medications. Nurses are legally required to provide the patient with assistance in issues like hygiene if the patient necessarily it. Some patients may move out of the infirmary environment and use infectious facilities during the course of interference. Undoubtedly, this situation would adversely uphold the patients disease recovery process. Hence, a nurse has the legal duty to pay proper attention to his/her patient and thereby avoid those adverse situations. In short, a nurse should avoid all acts that are likely t o affect the patient safety or quality of the care badly. This discussion highlights thatthe major legal responsibility of a healthcare employer is that he should maintain a wholesome healthcare environment where patient safety is specifically met. Healthcare laws indicate that employers are legally required to employ sufficient number of staff that is inborn to achieve patient safety and quality care.An employer has the legal responsibility to ensure his employees safety and welfare.... In addition, the employer has to ensure that his staffs are provided with necessary medical equipments and other treatment facilities. Employers must provide their staff with a potential worksite environment where elements of stressors are minimal. An employer has the legal responsibility to ensure his employees safety and welfare. It is the legal responsibility of an employer to assess the seek factors existing in the workplace environment and do whatever is practicable to minimize the level of those risks. Hence, a healthcare employer should encourage his staff to report both issue or pitfall in the work environment that is likely to hurt patient safety or employee efficiency. In addition, the employer is legally responsible for nonrecreational immediate attention to issues that are likely to impact the quality of care. American Medical Association in its code of medical ethics has specified the unplumbed elements of doctor-patient relationship and patients rights. Those rights involve the basic right to have adequate health care and the right to courtesy, respect, dignity, responsiveness, and timely attention to health needs (Kwon, n.d). Hence, a medication error will certainly constitute violation of patients rights. In the view of Kitchener, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity are the six fundamental ethical principles in the healthcare (as cited in Corey, Schneider & Callanan, 2010, p. 19). Hence, through the medication error, the nurse violated the principle of nonmaleficence, which states that do no harm to clients intentionally or unintentionally. Even though the nurse violated the basic nursing principles and thereby patient rights were