Legal and Ethical Issues in Psychiatric Nursing

These flashcards cover key concepts related to legal and ethical issues in psychiatric nursing, ensuring a comprehensive review for exam preparation.

Client Rights

Clients retain all civil rights except for the right to leave in involuntary commitment.

Involuntary Commitment

Clients can be held in a psychiatric facility if deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Seclusion and Restraint

Legal and ethical issues related to confining patients to ensure safety.

Standard of Care

The degree of care and skill that the average qualified practitioner would provide.

Torts

Wrongful acts leading to legal liability; can be intentional or unintentional.

Malpractice

Professional negligence that leads to patient harm.

Patient's Bill of Rights

Rights that ensure patients are informed about their treatment and have access to care.

Voluntary Admission

Patients who willingly seek treatment and can leave at any time unless a danger exists.

Involuntary Admission

Hospitalization against the patient's will due to danger to self or others.

Civil Commitment Laws

Laws governing the involuntary detention of individuals in psychiatric facilities.

Mandatory Outpatient Treatment

Laws requiring patients to continue treatment after hospital discharge.

Conservatorship

A legal process where someone is appointed to manage the affairs of an incompetent individual.

Least Restrictive Environment

Right of clients to receive treatment in a setting that imposes the least limitations.

Restraint Types

Includes human restraint, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint.

Seclusion

Involuntary confinement in a monitored, locked room to prevent harm.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, protecting patient health information.

Duty to Warn

Legal obligation to warn individuals if a patient presents a clear threat to them.

Insanity Defense

A legal defense claiming that a defendant was unable to understand their actions due to mental illness.

Negligence

Failing to act reasonably, resulting in harm to a patient.

Intentional Torts

Deliberate acts causing harm, such as assault or false imprisonment.

Ethics in Nursing

Principles guiding the conduct of nurses, emphasizing care standards and patient rights.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory prioritizing actions that provide the greatest benefit to the majority.

Deontology

Ethical theory based on adherence to rules or duties regardless of outcomes.

Autonomy

The right of patients to make informed decisions about their own care.

Beneficence

The duty to promote good for patients.

Nonmaleficence

The obligation to avoid causing harm to patients.

Justice

The principle of fairness in distributing benefits and burdens.

Veracity

The ethical obligation to tell the truth to patients.

Fidelity

Commitment to keep promises and maintain trust with patients.

Ethical Dilemma

Situations where conflicting principles make decision-making difficult.

Ethical Decision-Making

A structured process for resolving ethical issues based on available information and values.

Professional Liability

Legal responsibility of nurses and healthcare professionals to provide competent care.

Documentation

The process of recording patient care, critical for legal and ethical accountability.