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| Ethics | is the study of philosophical beliefs about what is considered right or wrong in a society. |
| bioethics | is the study of specific ethical questions that arise in health care. |
| The five basic principles of bioethics are | 1.Beneficence: The duty to act to benefit or promote the good of others (e.g., spending extra time to help calm an extremely anxious patient). 2.Autonomy: Respecting the rights of others to make their own decisions (e.g., acknowledging the patient’s right to refuse medication promotes autonomy). 3.Justice: The duty to distribute resources or care equally, regardless of personal attributes (e.g., an ICU nurse devotes equal attention to someone who has attempted suicide as to someone who suffered a brain aneurysm). 4.Fidelity (nonmaleficence): Maintaining loyalty and commitment to the patient and doing no wrong to the patient (e.g., maintaining expertise in nursing skill through nursing education). 5.Veracity: One’s duty to communicate truthfully (e.g., describing the purpose and side effects of psychotropic medications in a truthful and non-misleading way). |
| ethical dilemma | results when there is a conflict between two or more courses of action, each carrying favorable and unfavorable consequences. The response to these dilemmas is based partly on morals (beliefs of right or wrong) and values |
| civil rights | The right to vote •The right to civil service ranking •The right to receive, forfeit, or deny a driver’s license •The right to make purchases and enter contractual relationships (unless the patient has lost legal capacity by being adjudicated incompetent) •The right to press charges against another person •The right to humane care and treatment (medical, dental, and psychiatric needs must be met in accordance with the prevailing standards of these professions) •The right to religious freedom and practice •The right to social interaction •The right to exercise and participate in recreational opportunities Incarcerated persons with mental illness are afforded the same protections. |
| writ of habeas corpus | which means a “formal written order” to “free the person.” The writ of habeas corpus is the procedural mechanism used to challenge unlawful detention by the government. |
| Neither voluntary nor involuntary admission | determines a patient’s ability to make informed decisions about his or her health care. |
| Informal admission | is one type of voluntary admission that is similar to any general hospital admission in which there is no formal or written application. |
| Voluntary admission | occurs when a patient applies in writing for admission to the facility. If the person is under 18, the parent, legal guardian, custodian, or next of kin may have authority to apply on the person’s behalf. |
| Temporary admission | is used (1) for people who are so confused or demented they cannot make decisions on their own or (2) for people who are so ill they need emergency admission. A physician initiates a temporary admission, and then a psychiatrist employed by the hospital must confirm the need for hospitalization. |
| Involuntary admission | is admission to a facility without the patient’s consent. Generally, involuntary admission is necessary when a person is in need of psychiatric treatment, presents a danger to self or others, or is unable to meet his or her own basic needs. |
| Involuntary outpatient commitment | can be a preventive measure, allowing a court order before the onset of a psychiatric crisis that would result in an inpatient admission. The order for involuntary outpatient commitment is usually tied to receipt of goods and services provided by social welfare agencies, including disability benefits and housing |
| Conditional release | usually requires outpatient treatment for a specified period to determine the patient’s adherence with medication protocols, ability to meet basic needs, and ability to reintegrate into the community. |
| Unconditional release | is the termination of a patient-institution relationship. This release may be court-ordered or administratively ordered by the institution’s officials. |
| Informed Consent | signature obtained and witnessed by Nurse |
| Informed Consent | Patients must be informed of the following By a Physician : •The nature of their problem or condition •The nature and purpose of a proposed treatment •The risks and benefits of that treatment •The alternative treatment options |
| Competency | the capacity to understand the consequences of one’s decisions. |
| Tort | a civil wrong for which money damages (or other relief) may be obtained by the injured party (plaintiff) from the wrongdoer (defendant). |
| Intentional torts | which are willful or intentional acts that violate another person’s rights or property |
| Negligence | is the failure to use ordinary care in any professional or personal situation when you have a duty to do so. |
| Malpractice | is an act or omission to act that breaches the duty of due care and results in or is responsible for a person’s injuries. |
| The five elements required to prove negligence are | (1) duty, (2) breach of duty, (3) cause in fact, (4) proximate cause, and (5) damages. |
| Abandonment | a legal concept, occurs if a nurse does not deliver a patient safely to another health professional before discontinuing treatment. Abandonment issues arise when a nurse does not provide accurate, timely, and thorough reporting or when follow-through of patient care, on which the patient is relying, has not occurred. |
