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Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (September 15, 2020) © 2020

  • Ginny Wacker Guido University of North Dakota College of Nursing

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For courses in nursing law and ethics.

A complete guide to applying the law and ethics in nursing, across settings

Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing is a comprehensive review of legal and ethical issues for nurses at all levels of education and licensure, in all clinical settings. It reflects the influence of the law and ethics on professional nursing, as seen in the expanding autonomous roles of nurses and changes in healthcare delivery and clientele. The text is useful as both a learning tool and a professional resource.

The 7th Edition includes new ongoing case studies applying chapter content, a new discussion of organizational ethics, and expanded ethical scenarios and decision-making guidelines.

Hallmark features of this title

Overview of basic law and ethics affecting nurses in all clinical arenas

  • An introduction to the law, judicial process and ethics in Parts 1 and 2 gives students a foundational understanding setting the stage for content throughout the rest of the text.
  • Legal liability issues are covered in dedicated chapters on standards of care, tort law, nursing liability, informed consent, patient self-determination, documentation and confidentiality, and more.
  • The impact of the law on nursing practice is conveyed in dedicated chapters on topics such as advanced nursing practice roles and corporate liability issues.

New and updated features of this title

Interplay of law, ethics and nursing practice

  • NEW: The addition of organizational ethics in Chapter 3 prepares students to handle ethical issues pertinent to nursing management and supervision, such as conflicts that can affect the ethical climate of a health care setting.
  • UPDATED: The most up-to-date coverage of laws, ethics and trends in professional nursing are captured in this edition.
  • REVISED: The topics of informed consent and patient self-determination are now addressed in two separate chapters, making way for three-part case studies in each of these chapters.

Real-world applications

  • NEW: Two- or three-part ongoing case studies, starting in Chapter 5, help readers apply chapter content to an individual patient, patient family or practitioner.
  • EXPANDED: Additional ethical scenarios give readers practice applying legal and ethical concepts in compliance with the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.
  • UPDATED: A broadened set of decision-making guidelines in Chapter 17 gives students a quick-reference guide to ensure their actions comply with all pertinent legal and ethical standards.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW AND THE JUDICIAL PROCESS

  1. Legal Concepts and the Judicial Process
  2. Anatomy of a Lawsuit

PART 2: ETHICS IN NURSING PRACTICE

  1. Introduction to Ethics
  2. Application of Ethics in Nursing Practice Settings

PART 3: LIABILITY ISSUES

  1. Standards of Care
  2. Tort Law
  3. Nursing Liability: Defenses
  4. Informed Consent
  5. Patient Self-Determination
  6. Documentation and Confidentiality
  7. Professional Liability Insurance

PART 4: IMPACT OF THE LAW ON THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE OF NURSING

  1. Nurse Practice Acts, Licensure, and the Scope of Practice
  2. Advanced Nursing Practice Roles
  3. Corporate Liability Issues and Employment Laws
  4. Federal Laws: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991
  5. Nursing Management and the Nurse-Manager
  6. Delegation, Supervision, and Patient Advocacy Issues

PART 5: IMPACT OF THE LAW ON NURSING IN SELECTED PRACTICE SETTINGS

  1. Nursing in Acute Care Settings
  2. Nursing in Ambulatory and Managed Care Settings
  3. Public and Community Health Care
  4. Nursing in Long-Term Care Settings

About our author

Ginny Wacker Guido, JD, MSN, RN, FAAN, has been active in legal and ethical issues in nursing for all of her professional life. She developed an interest in these areas of nursing while she was teaching undergraduate nursing students in southern Texas, and her excitement for further knowledge and understanding of these content areas encouraged her to pursue a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree and attend multiple ethical conferences.

Over her career, she continued to attend national and regional workshops and conferences, updating and expanding her knowledge base regarding both the legal and ethical aspects of professional nursing practice. Dr. Guido has authored numerous publications and presented conferences and lectures on legal and ethical issues in nursing, with special emphasis on a variety of clinical practice settings.

In addition to publishing seven editions of Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing, she also edited a textbook on nursing care at the end of life. She remained active in nursing education until her retirement from Washington State University, Vancouver, in May 2014.

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