Understanding and meeting your legal responsibilities as a nurse

Journal article

Terry, LM, Carr, G and Halpin, Y (2017). Understanding and meeting your legal responsibilities as a nurse. Nursing Standard. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2017.e11015
AuthorsTerry, LM, Carr, G and Halpin, Y
Abstract

Nurses, midwives and students are legally responsible for their actions. This article discusses the legal standard of care in relation to nursing and midwifery practice and the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code. It examines how the courts determine if nurses have met their duty of care and how nurses must ensure they maintain competence in order to provide safe care. It examines why organisational knowing is important for all nurses, regardless of their level in the organisation. Workplace incivility is discussed and its adverse effects on nurses, patient care and the organisation. The article concludes that if nurses are uncertain why they are doing something, they must investigate further. The law expects nurses to be able to justify why they acted as they did, or failed to act.

Keywordsclinical negligence; competence; duty of care; legal responsibility; Nursing and Midwifery Council; nursing student; organisational knowing; patient safety; registered nurse; standards of care; workplace incivility
Year2017
JournalNursing Standard
PublisherRoyal College of Nursing
ISSN0029-6570
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2017.e11015
Publication dates
Print15 Nov 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited20 Nov 2017
Accepted24 Oct 2017
Accepted author manuscript
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File Access Level
Open
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Terry Carr Halpin Legal responsibilities article accepted version 24th Oct 2017.docx
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File access level: Open

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