Health Law & Ethics for Nurses

Health Law & Ethics for Nurses It is not unethical, unprofessional or unlawful to administer medication covertly in certain circumstance. As long as guidelines have been followed in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) and The Mental Capacity Act (2005). In this essay I shall look at the importance of being accountable for one's actions and then demonstrate how to possibly establish if an action is unethical, unprofessional or unlawful. I will then define the theories and principles of ethics and then explore the NMC (2004) A-Z advice sheet on administering medicine covertly. Furthermore I shall argue how the nurse could justify her action encompassing two of the ethical principles. Equally I will consider Mrs. Green's possible reaction, if she discovered her medication was being administered covertly and the implications of this. Finally I will explore the legal aspects of this case study and then conclude.

According to Handy (1997) as cited in Cuthbert and Quallington (2008) working in teams and small groups can cause individuals to follow the actions and behaviours of the team, because everyone else is doing it. Mrs. Green is an elderly women who is possibly vulnerable and although other nurses have been crushing the medication in a glass of orange juice without her consent. It is imperative as a Nurse to be accountable for ones actions and not do anything that undermines ones ethical and professional values or is unlawful. Because it could lead to being struck off the NMC register and could also result in legal action being taken against the Nurse.

On this placement, there were several examples of how autonomy influenced care delivery; this assignment will address two of these examples. The first incident involved an eighty six year old lady called Betty, who suffered with severe dementia, the Practice nurse from her surgery was coming into the home to administer the flu injection to her and several other clients. It had been recorded in Betty's case notes that she had had a fear of needles in the past and had refused several injections before her mental health had deteriorated, Does an autonomous decision have to be rational? "In the ideal of autonomy day - to -day decisions should be rational, i.e. consistent with the person's life plans" Hope, Savulescu and Hendrick, (2003 p 34).

Betty had no living relatives to contact to discuss her treatment. Patients suffering with dementia cannot always exercise autonomy. A client may be mentally incapacitated for various reasons. These may be temporary reasons, such as the effect of sedatory medicines, or longer-term reasons such as mental illness. It is important to remember that capacity may fluctuate, sometimes over short periods, and should therefore be regularly reassessed by the clinical team treating the client. The principles of consent continue to apply to any medication for conditions not related to the mental disorder for which they are being treated. The assessment of their capacity to consent to or refuse such medication therefore ...