Legal, Ethical, and Clinical Dimensions of Nursing Practice

Comprehensive flashcards covering the legal, ethical, and clinical aspects of nursing, including patient rights, grief, spirituality, cultural competence, and pain management.

Law

A standard rule of conduct established and enforced by the government, designed to protect the rights of the public.

Litigation

Legal action that occurs when something is brought forward.

Plaintiff

The person making the complaint and claiming they were wronged.

Defendant

The person being accused, who is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Public law

Regulates the relationships between individuals and the government, such as requiring a driver's license.

Private law

Regulates relationships one-on-one among people.

Criminal law

Defines criminal actions like murder and theft.

Misdemeanor

A criminal action resulting in less than $1$ year in jail.

Felony

A criminal action resulting in more than $1$ year in jail.

Tort

Something done or not done that causes injury to someone, handled in civil court.

Nurse practice act

Sets what a nurse can and cannot do to keep everyone safe; varies by state.

Accreditation

Being recognized by the state board of nursing.

Licensure

Achieved through passing the NCLEX.

Certification

Validation of additional specialized nursing credentials.

Duty

The responsibility for a patient once an assignment has been accepted.

Breach of duty

A failure to act according to the set standards for nursing care.

Causation

The sequence of events or factors that led to a specific situation.

Damages

Emotional or physical harm resulting from a breach of duty.

Malpractice arbitration

A process where experts in a specific area determine if malpractice occurred.

Modeling

A mode of value transmission where one learns by watching other people.

Moralizing

A mode of value transmission where one learns from being taught.

Laissez-faire

A mode of value transmission where values are allowed to develop naturally.

Altruism

Concern for the welfare and well-being of others.

Autonomy

The right for a patient to make their own decisions or the respect for those rights.

Human dignity

Treating everyone with respect, regardless of who they are.

Integrity

Acting according to a code of ethics and standards of practice.

Social injustice

Upholding moral, legal, and humanistic rights.

Bioethics

Ethics related specifically to healthcare, medicine, and life sciences.

Nursing ethics

Ethical issues specifically faced by nurses in their practice.

Feminist ethics

An approach focusing on reducing inequality and giving a voice to unfairly treated groups.

Utilitarian theory

The theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on its consequences.

Deontologic theory

The theory that an action is right or wrong independent of its consequences.

Nonmaleficence

The ethical principle of avoiding causing injury or unnecessary harm.

Beneficence

The ethical principle of acting to benefit the patient.

Justice

Treating everyone fairly and equally.

Fidelity

Keeping promises; often associated with the concept of "faith."

Veracity

Being entirely honest with the patient.

Ethical dilemma

A situation where two or more ethical principles conflict.

Ethical distress

Occurs when a person knows the right thing to do but is unable to do it.

Paternalism

Treating patients in a manner similar to a parent treating a child.

Whistleblowing

Speaking up about serious wrongdoing or something that is unethical.

Grief

The internal emotional reaction to loss.

Bereavement

The state of grief specifically following the loss of a loved one.

Mourning

The actions and expressions of grief, including symbols and ceremonies.

Actual loss

A loss that is recognized by others, such as losing a job.

Perceived loss

A loss felt by a person that is intangible to others, such as academic status.

Maturational loss

Loss resulting from a natural developmental process, like a child going to school.

Situational loss

Loss resulting from an unpredictable event, such as a broken hand.

Anticipatory loss

A loss that has not happened yet, often seen when a person is actively dying.

Idealization

An Engel's stage of grief involving the exaggeration of the good qualities of a person.

Cheyne-stokes respirations

Noisy, irregular breathing often referred to as the "death rattle."

Terminal weaning

The removal of a patient from a ventilator at the end of life.

Palliative sedation

The withdrawal of treatment while ensuring the patient remains comfortable.

Spirituality

Anything pertaining to a person's relationship with a nonmaterial life force or higher power.

Faith

A confident belief in something despite having no proof or evidence.

Religion

Cultural or institutional systems of belief.

Hope

The ingredient in life responsible for maintaining a positive outlook.

Spiritual distress

An inability to integrate meaning and purpose in life through connectedness with self or others.

Respite care

Temporary care provided to patients so the primary caregiver can take a break.

Hospice

Care for patients not expected to live long, where life-sustaining treatment is withheld.

Palliative care

Care for patients with chronic illness that includes providing treatment.

Prospective payment system

Systems like DRGs and RUGs that set a fixed payment for a specific type of care.

Capitation

A payment arrangement that sets a fixed payment per patient.

Cultural assimilation

When minorities living within a dominant group lose their unique characteristics and replace them with dominant values.

Culture shock

Feeling confused, uncomfortable, or stressed when placed in a different culture.

Cultural imposition

The belief that one's own culture is the "right way."

Cultural blindness

Ignoring cultural differences and treating everyone the same.

Cultural conflict

Disagreement or discomfort caused by differences between cultures.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one’s own ideas, beliefs, and practices are superior to others.

Stereotyping

The assumption that all members of a culture or ethnic group act in the same way.

Ethnicity

Identification with a cultural group based on common heritage and shared social beliefs.

Race

Classification based on specific physical characteristics like skin pigmentation and body stature.

Obstructive sleep apnea

The partial or full obstruction of the airway while sleeping.

CPAP

A device used for inhalation only that provides one continuous pressure.

BIPAP

A device that provides two different pressures for inhalation and exhalation.

Hypnotics

Pharmacological therapy used to help a person fall asleep and stay asleep.

Acute pain

Pain with rapid onset that varies in intensity and is protective in nature.

Chronic pain

Pain that lasts beyond the normal healing period and may include periods of remission.

Nociceptive pain

Pain caused by damage to tissue, often described as aching or throbbing.

Somatic pain

Pain originating from muscles, bones, joints, and ligaments.

Visceral pain

Internal organ pain, often described as pressure or a deep ache.

Neuropathic pain

Nerve-related pain often described as tingling.

Phantom pain

Pain perceived in a limb that has been amputated.

Referred pain

Pain perceived in an area distant from its actual point of origin.

Adjuvant drugs

Medications used to enhance the effect of analgesics for pain management.