Importance Of Legislation In Nursing

Superior Essays
NRS 123 – Health Law for nurses
Louise Wells
Assessment Item 1
Legislation and Nursing Practice
Due Date: 12th September, 2016

INTRODUCTION

In this essay, I will endeavour to demonstrate my knowledge, and address the relevant legislation requirements needed for the Nursing Profession. Based on the Case Scenario, I will identify the importance of practicing within a Nurse’s scope of ability, and specific areas of legal requirements needed to stay compliant for Registration. “In addition to legal obligations, practitioners are also under an ethical obligation to notify concerns about a practitioner” (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia).
“These guidelines explain the essential need for registered health practitioners,
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When he was doing his morning medication rounds, he was interrupted by a colleague, and unfortunately administers the wrong dose of medication to his patient. Elements such as distractions and interruptions when delivering care to a patient, can have a significant impact on medication safety.
There are three major areas liable for breech of the Acts and Regulation for Registered Nurses in Australia. The first breech “Is duty of care”, the second is breeching the standards required for medication handling in your state, and the third is breeching the Poisons and Therapeutic Act 1966. “These Acts govern your policy directives on medication handling”, and so on. ("Poisons and therapeutic Act 1966", 2016) In order for a negligence claim to be successful there must be damage. Under Civil Law there are four elements, or conditions, that must be satisfied in order for someone to be found to have been negligent.
The damage must be foreseeable and be directly linked between the patient 's injury and the action or omission, for the health profession to
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The individual’s scope of practice is then authorised in the practice setting by the organisations policies where employed. “The NMBA does not regulate scope of practice(www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au).

It is necessary for Registered Nurse’s to have a professional understanding of your individual scope of practice. Whilst the task might be within scope of practice for your profession, it may not be within your individual scope of practice. If RN’s practice within their scope, less medical errors would occur. ("scope of practice", 2016)
In team environments, it is important to understand your own scope of practice, as well as the scope of practice of other team members.
Most quality and safety processes within health services include a feedback loop which ensures that the number and types of errors can be monitored, strategies developed and implemented in an effort to ensure errors are minimized. (Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2013).
When a medication error is made, the nurse responsible for the error must identify the error has been made, undertake an assessment of the patient, inform the in charge nurse, treating physician, and patient. The error must be documented in the patient notes and the risk assessment tool report

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