Ethics and Nursing Practice Samples for Students -Myassingmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Law, Ethics, Professional Guidelines and their Relationship to Nursing Practice. Answer: The most important role in nursing practice is proper documentation. It assures high quality of patient care where the documents are recorded in a clear and concise manner. The principles of documentation relies on the fact that there should be proper documentation whether paper or electronic based and applied to defend the allegations of negligence, malpractice or failure in meeting the standards of care (Lavin, Harper Barr, 2015). In the given case scenario, there is tampering of the patients documents as documented by the nurse during her previous shift. The original notes of the nursing care of the patient are under scrutiny and there was malpractice of the documented notes. In this scenario, there is disruption of the patients documents that is vitally relevant to the patients nursing care. The nurses notes contain many vital indications or observations that describe the patients problems and immediate actions taken by the nurse in compliance with the problem (Patiraki et al., 2015). The tampering of the medical records in this case is a criminal offense where there is an unauthorized alteration or damage or interference with the original documents of patient. In this case, the healthcare professional involved in the lawsuit has been tempted to make additions or adjustments in the patients medical records so that his or her roles would look insignificant. The tampering of medical records is highly unaccepta ble and violates the law and ethics (Schaar Wilson, 2015). The immediate action would be to escalate the issue and examination of the handwriting. This would help to observe the appearance the writings in the entry and to look for the change in the style of writing. It is also important to look for if the notes are sloppily written or written neatly that might indicate rewritten at a later date. There is also a requirement to evaluate the tampered documents for a typed entry in between the handwritten notes. This would also help one to look for the late entries made at a later date with the number of entries. It is also important to look for the words that are incorporated within the medical records. There is also a requirement to look for the obliterations made in the entries. A review of the tampered documents for the detection of the ink colour that is made within the previous entry is also vital. There is also a need to review the timing of the entries made in the document. This would help to assess the late entry that might have been made after the learning of a problem. After this, it is important to talk to the immediate nurse who attended the patient after my shift. There is a need to talk to her as she might have witnessed something and the immediate healthcare professional that is in charge of the patient. The immediate nurse should be asked for justification for the tampering of the documents. The nurse is required to give explanation for the committed offense as there is falsification of the medical records (Jackson, 2016). Moreover, there is also a requirement to scrutinize the original documents. This would help to know the sections of the tampered documents. This would also aid in knowing that the reason because of which tampering has been do ne to meet the desired outcomes in the patients nursing plan care. The nurse had documented some observations that were not witnessed in the patient as such to get the desired results. The tampering of documents has serious implications as it is a way to cover up the errors that are made in judgment that are not subjected to recovery of the damages made or due to negligence. In the absence of satisfied justification from the nurse and the healthcare professionals, there is a need to escalate the issue to the immediate senior or the ward-in charge. As it is a malpractice, it needs to be escalated to the concerned hospital authority for the proper vigilance of the raised issue regarding the tampering of medical records (Chang Daly, 2015). There is a need to obtain the validation of the concerns that is required to make the correct legal strategic moves. After the intention to sue the nurse and the healthcare professionals, the above matter is to be escalated, the documents are to be reviewed by the investigating officer in charge and the concerned hospital authority. In the case scenario, there are ethical and legal implications involved with the falsification or tampering of the medical records. The registered nurses and the healthcare professionals have the legal responsibilities to abide by the competency standards, professional code of ethics and accreditation standards in the creation of the patients nursing plan. The creation, maintenance and disclosure of the patients medical record information is the responsibility of the registered nurses as authorized or dictated by law (Dwyer, 2013). The patients records serve as the best evidence to judge the breach of professionalism and legal standards involved in the nursing practice. The consequence involved with the alteration or incomplete or tampering of the medical records is ethically and legally catastrophic in nature. Falsification of the medical records has serious implications on the patient safety. The tampering of the records shows loopholes in the incredibility of the nurses. It is a p resumption of negligence depicted in the alteration of records. The deliberate falsification of the patients medical records by the registered nurses is considered to be a malpractice endangering the life of the patient (Hegney et al., 2014). It is a violation of the Australian Registered Nurse Standards for Practice where it is considered to be a criminal offense. According to the Code of Professional Conduct Statement 3, registered nurses should practice and conduct their profession in accordance with the nursing laws that are relevant to nursing practice and profession (Stasa et al., 2014). They are ensured to not engage in any kind of activities or practice that is prohibited by the laws. Under this competency, the nurses are obliged to report unlawful misconduct to the concerned authority. Moreover, if the nurses witness malpractice by their co-workers or colleagues, they have a responsibility to report this misconduct to the higher authority to safeguard and provide high quality of care to the patients. This competency complies with the immediate action that needs to be taken after witnessing the tampering with the medical documents. This competency also states that if the unlawful or unacceptable conduct of the employees is not addressed properly or failed to produce an effective response from the employers, they are obliged to escalate the matter to the external authority. According to the Conduct Statement 10 under the Australian Registered Nurse Standards for Practice, the nurses are obliged to practice their profession ethically and reflectively. According to the Conduct Standard 10 under the NMBA, Australia, the nurses have the responsibility to maintain and develop quality nursing practice that requires proper care to the patients under their provision of care (El Haddad, Moxham Broadbent, 2013). According to the Code of Ethics for the Nurses in Australia, it is the fundamental right of the nurses to identify the ethical standards in which the nursing profession is committed and incorporated into the professional nursing practice under the standards of conduct (LeMone et al., 2015). This also serves as the reference point for the nurses to conduct themselves and others in the nursing practice. It also helps to guide the nurses in ethical decision-making and nursing practice. It also encompasses the ethical values and human rights standards that the nurses are expected to uphold. According to the Value Statement 5 under the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, nurses should value the informed decision-making. They have the responsibility to perform their nursing practice in accordance with the legal and ethical requirements. In the given case study, the tampering of the medical records is unethical and non-relevant to the treatment and care of the patient. There is alterati on of the medical records that is highly unethical in the nursing practice (Adams, 2015). According to the Value Statement 7 under the Code of Ethics in Australia for Nurses, the nurses should value the ethical management of information. The generation and management of the medical documentation or patient information should be performed with integrity and professionalism (Chadwick Gallagher, 2016). There should be proper documentation and recording of the patient information and no alteration should be done or addition of new information. The statement also states that the information should be recorded in an accurate, relevant and in a non-judgmental manner. The health documentation recorded should not be altered or changed or further addition of information. The tampering of the documentation illustrates the negative impact on the quality of care provided to the patient. The falsification of the documents has long-lasting and serious implications on the provision of care. This also affects the ethical decision-making and provision of healthcare provided to the patient . The ethical management of the patient information also involves privacy and confidentiality that should not compromise with the safety of the patient. The data recorded should be authentic irrespective of the medium via which the information is stored. In the case scenario, the alteration and tampering of the patients information have serious implications on the safety and well-being of the patient. It is a violation of the professional code of conduct and poses ethical and legal implications on the nurse or healthcare professional at fault. The nurse-in-charge of the patient had the responsibility to value the professional code of conduct and should not have violated the information of the patient. Nurses have the responsibility to comply with the mandated reporting and maintenance of relevant privacy under the nursing legislation (Johnstone, 2015). The management of the ethical information also requires the nurses to maintain the records and information of the patients in an accurate manner to ensure high quality of nursing care. The nurses are obliged not to divulge any kind of information about any patient or authorize in any kind of tampering of medical records of the patient. Under the Value Standard 7, the nurses have the responsibility to comply with the meeting of the competency standards and expectations seeking nursing practice in Australia. The nurses should value proper documentation and provide reliable information about the patients condition (Burmeister, 2013). According to the Section 17 of the State Records Act 1997, Australia, of a person is found guilty of tampering with medical records; he or she is committed to criminal offence or have to pay a penalty or imprisonment. In the case example of tampering with a patient record at the Lyell McEwin in Australia, the Chief Medical Officer had stated that the legality of the case is to be investigated by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the tampering of the medical records have serious legal implications (Stark Payne-James, 2014). It took place in September, 2015 as reported by the Marshall Liberal Team in Australia. This example complies with the given case scenario where the nurse was accused of the tampering of medical records. Moreover, the Chief Medical Officer, Paddy Phillips stated that the case is a criminal offense and the person found guilty would be suspended; however, the full investigation is pending. The case of tampering with medical records is also dealt by The Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association states that the medical records of the patients should be well documented and falsification of these documents have legal imperatives that requires robust action. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) recognizes the importance of appropriate documentation of medical records and there should not be any falsification of the actual information documented (Kotsirilos et al., 2014). Proper documentation of the patients information and management is essential for the maintenance of health care records. According to New South Wales (NSW) policy directive, Australia, the Healthy Care Records policy defines the proper documentation and management of health records in the NSW health system (Friedewald Cleasby, 2017). The policy ensures that if there is violation or inability to meet the high standards of documentation and management of medical records, it should be dealt under the common law, ethical and legal jurisdiction. The above case scenario depicts that the nursing documentation is an essential part of clinical nursing and is a reflection of the nursing assessment and quality of care. The tampering of medical records poses serious legal and ethical implications that require robust actions under the jurisdiction of law References Adams, M. C. (2015). A documentation standard for the maternal and child health nurse in Victoria. Burmeister, O. K. (2013). Achieving the goal of a global computing code of ethics through an international-localisation hybrid.Ethical Space,10(4), 25-32. Chadwick, R., Gallagher, A. (2016).Ethics and nursing practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Chang, E., Daly, J. (2015).Transitions in nursing: Preparing for professional practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Dwyer, C. (2013). 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