Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing, 6th edition

Promotes more effective and efficient learning. Contains provenpedagogical features including chapter previews, objectives, key terms, application exercises, guidelines, chapter summaries, and “You Be the Judge” features concluding each chapter.

Helps students tightly link legal content to nursing practice. Presents key legal content where it is most relevant, with easy-to-follow chapter references to deeper insights wherever appropriate.

Prepares students to act as expert witnesses if necessary. Emphasises the nurse’s role as an expert witness in defining professional standards of care and major legal doctrines and rules that underlie the practice of professional nursing.

Prepares students to handle both legal and ethical issues. Demonstrates that ethical aspects of nursing often confront nurses in practice settings; thoroughly reviews ethical theories and principles; fully describes contemporary health care ethics committees; and addresses issues ranging from moral distress to advocacy.

Helps nurses clearly understand liability issues and risks in all clinical practice areas. Contains thorough and up-to-date chapters on standards of care; negligence, malpractice, and tort law; defenses to tort law; informed consent and patient self-determination; documentation and confidentiality; and professional liability insurance.

Helps nurses understand how they are affected by nurse practice acts. Clarifies the scope and limitations of nursing practice.

Prepares nurses for the legal challenges associated with management and supervision. Explains employment and federal laws that confront nursing, the role of the nurse manager, and laws pertaining to delegation, supervision, and advocacy.

Helps nurses apply the law in their individual practice settings. Covers specific legal issues arising in acute care settings, ambulatory and managed health care, public and community health settings, and long-term and home health care.

This edition has been updated throughout to reflect new and emerging legal and ethical issues; to present a deeper, more integrated connection between law and ethics and nursing; and to support nurses in all care settings, including the most innovative.

New! Presents ethical scenarios in the majority of chapters—encouraging nurses to reflect on the ethical delivery of quality health care while also considering the legal implications of this care.

Updated! Revised and expanded throughout—providing the most up-to-date and accurate coverage of the latest laws, ethical standards, and trends related to the professional practice of nursing.

New! Covers advanced nursing practice—including the new and evolving roles of doctor of nursing practice and clinical nurse leader.

Improved! Restores basic knowledge of the law and its enforcement—presenting a two-chapter introduction to the law and the judicial process that helps students more clearly comprehend everything that follows.