Consequences of Breaking Ethics Rule in Nursing - Essay Sample

Introduction

The work of nurses is guided by the professional ethics and legal requirements that each professional nurse must take into consideration while delivering medical services to the clients. The ethical practice in nursing serves to give the direction of service by putting the patients at the forefront and helps in guiding the nurse in making proper professional and ethical decisions to achieve the core values of professionalism, ethics, as well as the legal requirements. Nurses are expected to uphold the professional principles such as beneficence, fidelity, justice, non-maleficence, integrity, and respect for patients. Such ethics are carefully monitored such that any malpractice by a nurse may attract various discipline measures. The following are some of the consequences that a nurse may face as a result of breaking the ethics and professional rules of conduct.

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First, the nurse may lose the trust of the patient whom he or she is serving. Patients always trust nurses with their private information, and nurses are expected always to protect the information given by their clients and handle the patient with great respect and professional confidence. Losing a patient's trust may result from the ruthless handling by the nurse. When the nurse shows disrespect for the patient in such areas as the improper communication etiquette, the patient may not cooperate while being treated. Every nurse is expected to uphold respect, care, and gentleness while dealing with patients. If the nurse fails to show the concern while handling the client, the chances are that the patient may make a decision not to undergo any medical treatment and care provided by such nurse, this is because the patient may conclude that the nurse is not well experienced to handle the situation. Patients may as well decide to go back unattended to and shift to another hospital where they may receive the kind of care and treatment that they deserve. As a result, there may be a massive loss of clients visiting the hospital for medical care and treatment.

Second, the nurse who is caught in the malpractice of the ethics and professional values may be reported to the board of nursing for disciplinary measures. The board of nursing may further conduct their investigation into the matter, and if proved guilty, the nurse may lose his or her license for the nursing practice. The nurse may be in a tough situation, being denied the opportunity to practice nursing service delivery in the country. It is the beginning of problems for the nurse, and it does not end there since the nurse will be highly exposed to other disciplinary actions to which the nurse may lack any defence mechanisms for self-protection.

Moreover, the patient affected by the malpractice may decide to seek a legal suit against the nurse. In such a case, the nurse will face the legal prosecution for the professional malpractice. The case is comprehensively investigated to determine whether the nurse is innocent or guilty. If proved guilty, legal actions may be taken against the nurse and may involve the loss of license for the nursing practice. The nurse may be demoted from practising nursing services in the country. Other consequences may also involve the nurse being charged hefty fines and even imprisonment for the term proportionate to the level of misconduct done as decided by the judge.

The legal implications for professional nursing malpractices are associated with the observation of the federal and state laws, licensure, the limits to which the nurse is expected to practice, and the required professional standards expected of a nurse. If the practice of a nurse is proved to have fallen below the required standards of competence and care, the nurse is automatically exposed to litigation. The basis of litigation may be as follows; being negligent of his or her duties, failing to administer the professional standard of care which the prudent nurse would have done under similar conditions, and the professional malpractice. The acts of omission and commission in the professional nursing exercise may also subject the nurse to undergo a professional review of license and possible litigation. The professional license review and litigation of a nurse may equally lead to the loss of license or reprimand of the license during which, the nurse will not be allowed to continue with the work as a nurse.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ethics and professional values practised in nursing pose a dilemma to nurses. The medical exercises which can be termed as malpractice in the field of nursing include professional negligence whereby, the nurse fails to act in the professional standards which are expected of him or her, the breach of ethical values such as confidentiality, beneficence, justice and respect. The main consequences of breaking ethics rule in nursing are as follows; the nurse may be reported to the board of nursing to face the corrective measures for the malpractice, and the nurse may be sued in the court of law by the affected patient for the misconduct. Moreover, the nurse may end up losing his or her license thereby; he or she may not be allowed to continue practising the nursing in the country. Furthermore, the nurse may lose the trust of the patients and consequently lose other clients who would be discouraged by the malpractice.