Nursing Ethics, Law, Theory, EBP, Values, Safety, and Asepsis (Chapters 11-13, 25-26, 1-2)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms from nursing ethics, law, theory, evidence-based practice, values, safety, and infection control.

Accountability

Being answerable for one’s actions.

Advance care planning

An ongoing process that involves learning about the types of decisions that might need to be made.

Advanced directive

Consists of three documents: (1) living will, (2) durable power of attorney, and (3) health care proxy.

Advocacy

Supporting or promoting the interests of others or a cause greater than oneself.

Assault

A threat of bodily harm or violence with a feeling of imminent danger.

Autonomy

The freedom to make decisions supported by knowledge and self-confidence.

Battery

Actual physical harm caused to another person.

Beneficence

Doing good; acting on behalf of others and prioritizing patient needs over personal thoughts and feelings.

Bioethics

The study of ethical and philosophic issues in biology and medicine.

Bullying

Repeated, unwanted, harmful actions intended to humiliate, offend and cause distress.

Case law

Judicial decisions from individual court cases; historically known as common law.

Civil law

Governs unjust acts against individuals; judgments may require restitution in services or money.

Civility

Acting politely and showing respect.

Code of Ethics

A formalized statement that defines the values, morals, and standards guiding practice.

Confidentiality

The ethical principle of keeping patient information secure unless consent is given to disclose.

Constitutional law

Laws derived from a formal written constitution defining government powers and responsibilities.

Criminal law

The body of laws aimed at preventing harm to the country, state, and individuals.

Defamation of character

Public statements that are false and injurious to another person.

Deontology

Ethical theory emphasizing the rightness or wrongness of duties and obligations regardless of consequences.

DNR Order

Directions to refuse or limit extraordinary measures to delay natural death.

Durable power of attorney

A legal document allowing a designated person to make decisions for an individual who cannot decide independently.

Ethics

Standards of moral conduct; core nursing ethics include accountability, advocacy, autonomy, beneficence, confidentiality, fidelity, justice, non-maleficence, responsibility, and veracity.

Euthanasia

The act of painlessly ending the life of another.

False imprisonment

Unauthorized restraint or detention of a person.

Felony

A serious crime resulting in imprisonment for more than 1 year.

Fidelity

Keeping promises or fulfilling agreements.

Futile care

Care perceived as useless that prolongs life rather than restores it.

Health care proxy

The specific durable power of attorney for medical care.

Incivility

Rude, discourteous, or disrespectful actions that may have negative intent.

Informed consent

Permission granted after discussing treatment details, necessity, benefits/risks, alternatives, and risk of refusal.

Intentional Tort

Wrongs deliberately committed to injure or hurt another person.

Invasion of Privacy

Public disclosure of private information, use of a person’s name or likeness without permission, intrusion into privacy, or meddling in personal affairs.

Justice

Acting fairly and equitably.

Living will

A document specifying the treatment a person wants if unconscious or no longer capable of decisions.

Malpractice

Negligence or failure to meet standards within a professional role.

MAID

Medical Aid In Dying: a legal provision allowing a mentally competent person with prognosis of 6 months or less to self-administer prescribed medication to end life.

Misdemeanor

A lesser crime punishable by a fine or up to one year in jail.

Moral distress

Anguish when beliefs about what is right are challenged or ethical principles are tested.

Moral resilience

Capacity to sustain or restore integrity in response to moral complexity and distress.

Negligence

Risk of harm by failing to act as a reasonable person would.

Non-maleficence

Do no harm.

Nurse Practice Act (NPA)

Laws defining the scope of nursing practice; nurses must be familiar to function legally.

Regulatory law

Laws by administrative bodies (e.g., state boards) that outline how statutory law is fulfilled.

Responsibility

Being dependable and reliable.

Slander

Oral defamation of character.

Standards Of Care

Minimum requirements for safe nursing care; framed by laws, regulations, accreditation, and policies.

Statutory law

Laws created by legislative bodies; must be consistent with federal laws.

Substance use Disorder (SUD)

Pattern from misuse to addiction to alcohol or drugs; causes significant impairment.

Torts

Wrongs against another person that do not involve a contract.

Unintentional Torts

Omissions or acts that cause unintended harm.

Utilitarianism

Ethical theory judging actions by their outcome for the greater good.

Veracity

Truthfulness.

Standards of practice

Guidelines for nursing practice including the six steps of the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, evaluation).

Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)

RN with advanced education/clinical practice (master’s level) providing direct patient care.

Collaboration

Two or more people working toward a common goal to provide quality patient care.

Conceptual Framework or Model

Interrelated concepts guiding nursing practice, research, and education; addresses nursing metaparadigm.

Cultural Competence

Integration of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, skills in encounters with people from different cultures.

Delegation

Transfer of responsibility to a competent individual to perform a nursing task.

Discipline

Specific field of study or branch of instruction.

Ethics

Standards of moral conduct guiding nursing practice.

Evidence Based Practice (EBP/EMP)

Integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values for quality care.

Grand Theory

Global framework defining broad nursing perspectives and phenomena.

Holistic

Models treating body and environment as a connected system.

Licensure

Process by which a government grants legal authority to practice.

Metaparadigm

Global set of concepts describing central nursing phenomena and their relationships.

Middle Range Theory

Moderately abstract theory focused on a specific condition or population.

Nursing

Protection, promotion, and optimization of health; prevention of illness; advocacy and care.

Nursing Process

Systematic method of critical thinking to develop individualized plans of care.

Nursing Theory

Group of concepts tested in practice derived from a conceptual model.

Philosophy

Beliefs and values of nursing related to health phenomena.

Profession

Occupation requiring specialized training and knowledge.

Socialization

Process of being nurtured in a culture and acquiring its characteristics.

Standards

Minimum criteria of practice.

Anonymity

Identity of a person is not known.

Applied research

Testing the application of theories in different situations or populations.

Basic research

Research conducted to generate theories.

Clinical research

Research testing the effectiveness of interventions.

Control group

Group that does not receive the treatment in an experiment.

Correlational research

Research exploring relationships between two variables.

Critical appraisal

Balanced evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of research.

Data

Information collected by the researcher from participants.

Data analysis

Procedures used to summarize data and interpret results.

Deductive reasoning

Conclusions drawn from general principles.

Dependent variable

Outcome affected by manipulation of the independent variable.

Descriptive research

Identifies data and characteristics about a population or phenomenon.

Dissemination

Communication and distribution of research findings.

Ethnography

Study of meaning through close field observation of a sociocultural phenomenon.

Evidence based Practice (EBP)

Integration of best research with clinical expertise, patient values, and quality care.

Experimental research

Research exploring causal relationships between variables.

Grounded theory research

Derives theory from data collected in the research.

Historical research

Studies historical documents to determine an accurate picture of events.

Human subject

Individual from whom data is obtained through intervention or identifiable information.

Hypothesis

Statement about two or more variables and their relationship.

Independent variable

Concept thought to affect another concept.

Inductive reasoning

Generalizations based on specific observations.

Institutional review board (IRB)

Review committee to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects.

Instruments

Data collection tools used in research.

Literature review

Critical analysis of current information on a subject.

Meta analysis

Analysis that merges results from related studies to find similarities/differences.

Phenomenological research

Research exploring the lived experiences of a specific group.