Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Legal, Ethical and Professional Issues - Essay Example From this resaerch it is clear that there are quite a few healthcare practices that deprive the dignity of patients by treating them as ingenuous, dependent and inane beings. This transpires, despite the acceptance among nurses and doctors that patients are fundamentally human beings. Nursing practice has to recognise the fact that the law is of great significance. This has become all the more true, due to the unprecedented increase of court cases related to health care. The nurse – patient relationship becomes very clearly defined, when the nurse comprehends the relevance of the law to their practice. There are two types of legislation. Firstly, law based on precedent or previous decisions in cases with similar facts and made in the court is known as the common law. Secondly, the statutory law is primary legislation that has to be passed by both the Houses of Parliament. It has two divisions, namely the criminal and civil law. The civil law relates to cases where remuneration is sought, via pecuniary compensation. On the other hand, the criminal law addresses instances of harmful or disruptive behaviour or practices and the punishment inflicted is in general incarceration. Nurses should be well versed with such legislation, in order to evade liability in their professional role. This is because, under the law, healthcare professionals and workers are accountable for their actions during the course of providing medication or healthcare. They have to identify their limitations and powers with regard to the provision of health care and they should be aware of the existing health care legislations and local protocols. Healthcare professionals should know the provisions of the Care Standards Act of 2000, the Health Act of 2006, the Mental Capacity Act of 2005, and the Disability Act of 1998 (Barker & Randle, 2009). The Code (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008) has stipulated in no uncertain terms that the individual registered nurses and midwives ‘are personally accountable for actions and omissions in practice’ (Scrivener, Hand, & Hooper 2011). In addition, the NMC Code specifies that nurses should ensure that they follow the latest procedures in their practice. As such, the Code exhorts nurses to learn throughout their career (The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives 2008). Moreover, spiritual care is a very important aspect of the nursing code of ethics in the UK. This is reiterated by the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses, which states that while providing care the nurse engenders an environment where in human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs are respected. As such, the NMC Code of Professional Conduct requires nurses to document and systematically assess the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients, clients and communities (McSherry & Ross 2010).The regulatory agency of the UK, with regard to nursing and midwifery is the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Scenario1 In the first hypothetical scenario the patient is unconscious and has been diagnosed with permanent brain damage. The medical team, including the nurses and critical care nurses have taken a decision to withdraw treatment for this

Strategic Planning and Organizational Mandates Assignment

Strategic Planning and Organizational Mandates - Assignment Example AmeriCare is an organization with the mandate of offing relief programs and health in situations of a disaster by delivering medication and medical supplies to these victims. The organization has the mandate of providing people with humanitarian assistance in different countries around the world. Moreover, the organization has been providing aid worth ten billion to more than one hundred and forty countries (Americares, 2011). Moreover, AmeriCares also provides medical support by establishing free clinics, non-for profit pharmacies and numerous hospitals in different parts of the world to assist poor. Americare is an organization with a mission of offering relief and charitable assistance, thereby responding to emergencies caused by disasters. Moreover, they have upheld values towards their assistance programs, which are offered to victims of a disaster with emergency medical needs. Stakeholders in Americare organization include private sector donors, the government and other associates who facilitate operations of the organization. In fact, these parties assist the organization to execute their mandate of ensuring that people are living longer and healthier. Moreover, this requires supply of critical medicine and health care services to people from different parts of the world. Other stakeholders include leading pharmaceutical companies and medical manufacturers who offer medical supplied to the organization. The organization has managed to acquire partnership with over 2000 hospitals, clinics and community health programs in numerous parts of the world. There are other stakeholders, who include international and local nongovernmental organizations and ministries. Americare has gathered products donations from the private sector, and they determine the urgency of various needs to intervene through their assistance. Moreover, they have the ability to convince their stakeholders to offer financial support, which they send to affected areas through airlift and ocean cargo. Americare has acquired health care professionals, who are deployed in impecunious regions with people suffering from different disasters.