Nursing Law, Ethics, and Patient Safety Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Nursing Law, ethical principles, patient safety protocols, and legal definitions for exam preparation.

Nursing Law

Rules and regulations that govern nursing practice and protect patients from harm.

Nurse Practice Act (NPA)

A state law that regulates nursing practice, defining the scope of practice, educational requirements, licensure requirements, and grounds for discipline.

Scope of Practice

Activities nurses are legally allowed to perform, determined by the Nurse Practice Act, education, training, competency, and facility policies.

Standards of Care

The level of care a reasonably prudent nurse would provide in the same situation; used to determine negligence.

Negligence

Failure to act as a reasonable nurse would, requiring four elements: Duty, Breach of Duty, Causation, and Damages.

Malpractice

Professional negligence by a nurse; all malpractice is negligence, but not all negligence is malpractice.

Informed Consent

A process where a patient voluntarily agrees to a procedure after the provider explains the procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives.

Living Will

An advance directive that specifies a patient's desired treatments and end-of-life wishes.

Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare

An advance directive that designates a specific person to make healthcare decisions when the patient is unable to communicate.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which protects patient privacy and Protected Health Information (PHI).

Restraints

Devices or methods used only when a patient is a danger to self or others; requires using the least restrictive method first and a provider order.

Mandatory Reporting

The legal duty to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of protected populations like children, the elderly, and disabled individuals.

Tarasoff Law (Duty to Warn)

The legal obligation for healthcare providers to warn identifiable individuals when a patient makes credible threats of foreseeable harm.

Assault

Threatening a patient with harmful contact.

Battery

Actual unwanted touching of a patient, such as giving an injection after it has been refused.

False Imprisonment

Restraining a patient without legal justification, such as locking them in a room or using restraints improperly.

Slander

A spoken false statement that constitutes defamation.

Libel

A written false statement that constitutes defamation.

Autonomy

The ethical principle representing a patient's right to make their own healthcare decisions.

Beneficence

The ethical principle of doing good for the patient.

Nonmaleficence

The ethical principle of doing no harm.

Justice

The ethical principle of providing fair and equal treatment to all patients regardless of background.

Fidelity

The ethical principle of keeping promises and being faithful to commitments.

Veracity

The ethical principle of truthfulness and honest communication.

Seven Rights of Medication Administration

The protocol ensuring safety: Right Patient, Right Medication, Right Dose, Right Route, Right Time, Right Documentation, and Right Reason.

Five Rights of Delegation

The criteria for safe delegation: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction, and Right Supervision.

SBAR

A communication tool used for provider communication consisting of Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.

Standard Precautions

Infection prevention measures used for ALL patients, including hand hygiene and the use of PPE when indicated.