NUM2405 Legal and Ethical Practice in Nursing and Midwifery: Challenging Situations

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, statutory standards, clinical error classifications, and ethical frameworks from NUM2405 Legal and Ethical Practice in Nursing and Midwifery.

Trust

Believing that another person will take the necessary action to fulfill a person's wishes and expectations, which fundamentally influences disclosure of confidential information, treatment acceptance, and treatment adherence.

Ethics Index 2022 (Nurses' Score)

A measurement by the Governance Institute of Australia rating nurses as the most trustworthy occupation with a score of $77$, ranking higher than fire services ($75$) and ambulance services ($74$).

Professional Self-Concept

A reflection of nurses' attitudes, perceptions, emotions, ethics, behaviors, and values in the nursing profession, divided into four categories: professional identity, competence, care, and knowledge.

Extended Practice Authority

A concept introduced under the Western Australian Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 defining the scope of activities nurses can perform, such as administering medicines or immunisations.

Medicines and Poisons Act 2014

Western Australian legislation authorising nurses to handle certain scheduled medicines (such as Schedules $2$, $3$, $4$, and $8$) under specific conditions and health management protocols.

Medication Errors (Pappa et al., 2024)

The most prevalent type of nursing error ($45\%$), primarily consisting of incorrect dosages, wrong medications, and missed doses.

Procedural Errors (Pappa et al., 2024)

The second most common category of nursing errors ($30\%$), comprising incorrect techniques, failure to follow protocols, and improper use of medical equipment.

Documentation Errors (Pappa et al., 2024)

A category of nursing errors identified by Pappa et al. (2024) accounting for $15\%$ of all clinical nursing errors.

Communication Errors (Pappa et al., 2024)

A classification of clinical error that constitutes $10\%$ of all documented nursing errors.

Medication Safety Standard

A standard developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care addressing areas of medication management with known risks of error due to unsafe processes and clinician practice variations.

Knowledge-Based Errors (SAER NSW 2023)

Clinical errors caused directly by gaps in staff skills or knowledge.

Loss of Situational Awareness (SAER NSW 2023)

An error mechanism relating to focusing on one aspect of care, attending to irrelevant information, and poor prioritisation and planning of care.

Cognitive-Based Errors (SAER NSW 2023)

Errors involving the failure to understand, process, or act appropriately on available information despite adequate education and knowledge, such as following the wrong clinical pathway.

Violations (SAER NSW 2023)

Isolated departures from known rules, procedures, or norms, including misalignment between patient care management and policy requirements (e.g., patient observation frequency, omitting pagers, or failing to re-site peripheral IV cannulas).

Skill-Based Errors / Slip (SAER NSW 2023)

Poor task execution failures occurring when carrying out physical actions of a task where the process plan was correct, but the execution was flawed.

Clinical Incident Management System (CIMS)

A Western Australian health system through which nurses report clinical incidents and errors, categorising them according to severity.

Severity Assessment Code 1 (SAC 1)

The highest severity classification for clinical incidents under CIMS involving serious harm or death, requiring immediate notification and detailed investigation.

Open Disclosure

An open and honest communication process required when a person is harmed by healthcare, encompassing timely incident reporting, an apology, an explanation, and support within a supportive, no-blame culture.

Mandatory Reporting Obligations (NMBA)

Statutory requirements under sections $129$, $130$, $131$, and $141$ of the National Law compelling nurses to notify Ahpra of legal restrictions, disciplinary cautions, or professional misconduct.

Learning Culture (ICN Code of Ethics)

An ethical environment promoting a blame-free climate where clinical errors are treated as opportunities for improvement rather than punishment.