Unit 2 Nursing – Legal, Ethical, Scope, Theory & EBP

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Unit 2’s legal, ethical, scope, theoretical, and evidence-based practice concepts in nursing.

Intentional tort

A deliberate civil wrong that harms another, such as assault, battery, false imprisonment, or fraud.

Assault

Threatening to touch or harm a patient, creating fear without actual contact.

Battery

Actual, unauthorized physical contact with a patient, e.g., giving an injection without consent.

False imprisonment

Unlawfully restricting a patient’s freedom of movement or confining them without justification.

Fraud (in healthcare)

Intentional deception for personal gain, such as falsifying documentation.

Unintentional tort

Accidental civil wrongs like negligence or malpractice that cause patient harm.

Negligence

Failure to act safely as a reasonably prudent person would, resulting in harm.

Malpractice

Professional negligence—failure of a licensed professional to meet standards of care.

Informed consent

Legal safeguard requiring patients receive accurate information and voluntarily agree to care.

Good Samaritan Law

Statute protecting healthcare providers who render emergency aid from liability, within scope of training.

Autonomy

Ethical principle of respecting and supporting a patient’s independent decisions.

Beneficence

Ethical duty to do good and act in the patient’s best interest.

Non-maleficence

Ethical obligation to avoid causing harm—"do no harm."

Fidelity

Keeping promises and remaining faithful to commitments made to patients.

Justice (ethics)

Fair and equal treatment of all patients, distributing benefits and burdens impartially.

Veracity

Ethical duty to tell the truth and provide accurate information to patients.

Ethical dilemma

Situation in which moral principles conflict, requiring difficult choices (e.g., truth-telling vs. protection).

Scope of practice

The activities a nurse is educated, competent, and legally authorized to perform.

Health promotion

Nursing focus on improving wellness through education on fitness, nutrition, lifestyle.

Illness prevention

Activities aimed at disease avoidance, such as vaccinations and screenings.

Health restoration

Interventions to return patients to optimal function, e.g., medication administration, wound care.

Care of the dying

Providing hospice, comfort measures, and emotional support to end-of-life patients.

Patient advocacy

Actively supporting and defending patients’ rights, needs, and decisions.

Nursing assessment

Systematic collection and analysis of patient data to guide care decisions.

Evidence-based practice (EBP)

Integration of best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences in care decisions.

Best research evidence

Current, high-quality scientific findings used to guide practice.

Clinical expertise

The clinician’s accumulated knowledge, skills, and past experience.

Patient values & preferences

Individual patient beliefs, concerns, and choices considered in EBP.

Aims of EBP

Provide high-quality, cost-effective care, improve outcomes, and increase satisfaction.

Steps of EBP

1) Ask a question (PICO), 2) Search evidence, 3) Critically appraise, 4) Apply, 5) Evaluate outcomes.

PICO framework

Tool for building clinical questions: Patient/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome.

Barriers to EBP

Obstacles such as lack of time, resources, research skills, or organizational support.

Advantages of EBP

Improves outcomes, standardizes care, boosts efficiency, and enhances clinician confidence.

Stetler Model

Five-phase EBP model (Preparation, Validation, Comparative Evaluation, Translation, Evaluation) emphasizing critical thinking.

Iowa Model

EBP model using multidisciplinary teams, problem/knowledge triggers, and change principles.

Rosswurm & Larrabee Model

Change-theory-based model with six stages from need assessment to maintenance of practice change.

Nursing theory

Framework explaining how and why nurses provide care, guiding practice and research.

Grand theory

Broad, abstract nursing framework covering the global nature of nursing.

Middle-range theory

More focused theory addressing specific phenomena or concepts in nursing.

Descriptive theory

Theory that explains or describes phenomena without directing actions.

Prescriptive theory

Theory that provides guidance for nursing interventions and predicts outcomes.

Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory

Posits that clean air, water, light, and environment promote healing.

Virginia Henderson’s Need Theory

Identifies 14 basic human needs nurses help patients meet to achieve independence.

Faye Abdellah’s 21 Nursing Problems

Approach focusing on solving 21 patient-centered problems through nursing care.

Madeleine Leininger’s Cultural Care Theory

Emphasizes culturally congruent care respecting patients’ cultural values.

Martha Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings

Holistic view of patients interacting continuously with the environment.

Imogene King’s Goal Attainment Theory

Stresses nurse-patient collaboration to set and achieve health goals.

Hildegard Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory

Defines four phases (orientation, identification, exploitation, resolution) of the nurse-patient relationship.

Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring

Highlights caring, compassion, and emotional connections as central to nursing.

Ida Orlando’s Nursing Process Theory

States nursing actions should address the patient’s immediate, expressed needs.

Joyce Travelbee’s Human-to-Human Relationship Model

Focuses on empathy and meaningful nurse-patient connections to alleviate suffering.

Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model

Explains how personal factors and perceptions influence health-promoting behaviors.

Betty Neuman’s Systems Model

Views the patient as an open system; nursing aims to manage stressors.

Sister Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model

Sees nursing as helping individuals adapt to biological, psychological, and environmental changes.

Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory

States nurses assist when patients cannot perform necessary self-care.