Contemporary Legal & Professional Issues Assignment Sample

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Introduction - Contemporary Legal & Professional Issues Assignment Sample

Nursing care for the old people is inherently complicated because of the prevalence of multiple chronic conditions and cognitive decline. Gerontological nursing promotes care for all patients, including preventive and end-of-life care. Old people face social isolation, loss of family and friends, living alone, chronic illness, and sensory impairments (World Health Organization, 2020). Patient autonomy is the main principle in medicine identifying the rights of patients to make decisions regarding their own healthcare. Nurses currently face interpersonal, personal, and socio-cultural challenges in their professional performance. Dignity has become a major concern in UK healthcare policy for older and vulnerable individuals. Ethical and legal frameworks are designed to help healthcare organizations and professionals make complicated decisions for older patients (Jack, Ridley, and Turner 2024). Respect for autonomy requires that patients be told the truth about their condition and informed about the benefits and risks of care. This paragraph is supported with online assignment help to assist students in understanding ethical and legal challenges in gerontological nursing.

A do-not-resuscitate order (DNAR) is referred to as a medical order written by the healthcare providers. This implies endorsement of service which allow the natural procedure of death despite of reinforcing what services will withheld. DNAR mitigates the implication which resuscitation is probable as well as creates an improved emotional environment.

The assisted decision making act 2015 is the law which created the new legal framework to support the decision-making within Ireland. The act also facilitates people to plan for the time when they lose their capacity in 2 types of future planning. This facilitates the individuals to make legal agreements supported to make decisions regarding personal property, welfare as well as affair (Villa et al, 2021). This is a significant law which advances the rights of the individual with a disability in Ireland. Nurses need to know regarding the code of ethics in the profession as well as identify their own integrity as well as moral character.

Main body

The main principles of ethics are nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy as well as justice within health and social care. To respect the autonomous agents acknowledge that the individual right to make choices as well as take actions based on their personal beliefs. The principle of the beneficence is the responsibility of the physician to act for the advantage of the patient as well as support the moral rules in protecting as well as defend the rights of others as well as persons with disabilities (Walle-Hansen et al, 2021). Non-maleficence is the main principle of the medical ethics stating that the physician has the responsibility to not harm the patient. Justice is the fairness which plays a vital role in property as well as safety for the patients.

Deontological ethics hold the acts which are morally obligatory despite of their consequences for the human welfare. The deontological ethics are significant which affect the decision-making in the medical as well as health care. The informed consent resides on the 3 major elements such as information disclosure, voluntarism as well as decision-making capability. Obtaining the informed consent from the patients prior to the surgical procedure is the significant element of safe as well as ethical clinical practices. This is an essential part of the consent procedure to be delegated to members of a clinical team not carrying out the processes. Autonomy is the foundation of informed consent as well as confidentiality. Healthcare professionals are obligated to hold the patient's autonomy as well as allow them to make informed decisions (Danis et al, 2020). The ethical principle of the autonomy obligate the healthcare professionals to respect the preferences of the patients who is considered of making the decisions.

Contemporary Legal & Professional Issues Assignment Sample

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Virtue ethics diverge from the other moral theories by emphasizing on the character of the ethical agent rather than the act. This includes moral reasoning, honesty as well as motivating professional behavior practices. This ethical principle of care requires that all patients be treated in an equal way without prejudice or discrimination. The method of reflective equilibrium is an adjustment of judgment as well as principles of a specific theory. Patient-centered care needs that the healthcare professionals should actively understand the needs of the patients (Chee, 2020). Care ethics seeks to maintain the relations by contextualizing as well as promoting the well-being of the care providers in the social relations.

Patient-centered care includes identifying the needs as well as preferences to make the healthcare decisions (Chaboyer et al, 2021). This includes seeking an understanding of what is significant for patients as well as their families which promotes the trust as well as establishes mutual respect. By embracing this approach, people can enhance their ability to cultivate the instincts to consider the healthcare choices as well as promote deep connections. Care ethics focuses on the value of the individual relations as well as context context-sensitive nature of the ethical deliberation. Care ethics seeks to maintain the relations by promoting as well as contextualizing the health of the caregivers (Pazan and Wehling, 2021). Supporting these services is vital for to make sure that people receive the compassionate care in the end stage of their lives.

Irish health as well as social care policy has faced major evolution in the current years to handle inequalities and enhance standards as well as models of care (Parreira et al, 2021). The legal framework places the responsibility on Irish health as well as social care providers at the individual and organizational practitioner level for the human rights of individuals using their services. The commission has the broad statutory remit in connection to the promotion of human rights as well as equality under the IHREC Act 2014. This obligates the statutory responsibility on the public bodies to carry out functions such as eliminating discrimination, protecting human rights as well as encouraging equality of opportunity.

The Assisted Decision Making Act 2015 is the law which establish the new legal framework for supporting decision-making within Ireland. This facilitates the individuals to make legal agreements on the way they support to make decisions regarding their personal property, welfare as well as affairs. Individuals who might have challenges in making decisions include acquired brain injury, intellectual disabilities as well as mental health dementia in old age. This act supports decision-making as well as enhances the individual capacity to make decisions (Novels et al, 2021). The act places importance on the preferences of individuals with the impaired mental capacity concerning personal welfare. Ireland is the first state to accept the obligatory jurisdiction of the court. Old adults need to be offered with human rights as well as freedom in a care facility. This includes respecting their beliefs, dignity as well as privacy in making decisions regarding their care.

Respect for the autonomy requires that the patient need to be informed regarding their condition as well as be informed regarding the risks as well as advantages of the treatment to make informed decisions (Bolt et al, 2021). Healthcare professionals are required to be familiar with the legal challenges in advocating for the patients which fall in the emancipation category. Patient autonomy is the fundamental principle within the healthcare which needs the rights of the patients to make decisions regarding their own healthcare. This ensures that the patients have the access to specific as well as comprehensive information regarding their health conditions, major risks as well as treatment alternatives (Rudnicka et al, 2020). This motivates the patients to participate in the care as well as make informed decisions on the basis of their needs and situations. This includes the freedom to select the various self-care practices, intervention as well as treatments on the basis of personal needs.

Autonomy includes the significance of self-care practices, actively engaging in behaviors as well as adhering to suggested treatments which promote health. This also includes having the confidence in one’s knowledge, capabilities as well as skills to handle the health efficiently (Gipson et al, 2021). Respect for individual preferences acknowledges that different people might have the unique priorities, requirements as well as personal beliefs which impact the self-care choices. Respect for autonomy is a principle linked with the patients to make their own healthcare choices (Collado-Mateo et al, 2021). This principle needs treatment in disclosing the information as well as ensuring the understanding which promotes the decision-making.

Old-age people need to use a specific level of care to offer protection as well as mental stimulation in the secure environment. They need to have access to social as well as legal services to improve their protection, autonomy as well as care. They need to access to mental health care which assists them in maintaining the level of mental, physical as well as emotional health to prevent illness. People need to benefit from the community and family care protection with the cultural values (American Diabetes Association, 2021). Old individuals need to be treated fairly despite their gender, age as well as ethnic backgrounds. The right to privacy is significant in the care setting as well as directly influences the safety of the patients. They are entitled to expect the safeguarding of the personal matters, physical privacy as well as medical information. Patients have the right to timely as well as efficient post-discharge care to make sure the monitoring to handle the emerging complications.

Minister O'Gorman stated that the Assisted Decision Making Act 2015 emphasizes on right-based system of supported decision-making. This assists old age people who might lack the capacity to make decisions on their own (Miller, 2021). Capacity is the capability to use as well as recognize information to make the decisions as well as communicate the decisions made. The person lacks the ability if their mind is distributed in which they are unable to make decisions. By acknowledging the patient autonomy, healthcare providers need to empower them to actively participate in decisions regarding their care. Including the patients in these decisions makes sure that they are well-informed regarding their treatment options. Human subjects need to be treated as autonomous as well as capable of making accountable choices.

The aim is to promote the autonomy of the old people with the psychological disabilities as well as support the individuals in the decision-making. The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has been launched in 2000 which promote as well as protect the human rights in the Ireland. The principle of informed consent is the main rule-making as well as law enforcement in healthcare (World Health Organization, 2021). Nurses are expected to treat the old adults with the dignity as well as respect while offering care. Aged care quality standards need the providers to identify as well as respect the unique culture, identity, social relations as well as wellbeing (Vaartio-Rajalin et al, 2021). The common thread for all these challenges is to safeguard the autonomy, dignity as well as self-determination of the care for old age individuals. Allowing the old people to make their healthcare decisions concerns their daily life support.

Nurses are required to be familiar with the ethical value of autonomy as well as make sure that it is reflected in their ethical decisions. Ethical care practices are required to make sure that the old age people autonomy and dignity are considered in the care setting environment (Chen, 2020). This is vital to understand the care practices which impact the old individual autonomy in the care settings. All the old adults are presumed to have the capacity to decide their own medical treatment. Mental capacity has been the key element of the consent of treatment as well as linked with the autonomy.

Supported decision-making is the optional for guardianship. They make the decisions for people with the disability or mental health problems (Sjöberg et al 2021). Supported decision-making encourages control, self-determination as well as autonomy. As a decision-making assistant, healthcare professionals have the legal authority to assist the people by collecting specific information as well as explaining it to them. This facilitates the people to make the legal agreement to be supported in decision-making regarding their personal welfare. Shared decision-making is a collective procedure in which the health professional works jointly with the individual to reach the decision regarding care (Stall et al, 2020). This includes selecting tests and treatments on the basis of evidence on people's beliefs, needs as well as values. This ensure that individual understand the possible as well as risk consequences of various alternatives with information sharing.

Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) offers authority to the people they trust to act on their behalf to lose the capacity to make specific decisions in the future. Advanced care planning (ACP) is the procedure that ensures the respect of the patient is prioritized as well as valued regarding the future care at the end of the life (Rowlings, 2024). Advance directives are the legal documents which offers instructions for the medical care. The decision support services (DSS) to protect as well as uphold the individual rights to make their decisions regarding their care. Clinical decision support (CDS) encourages the best practice by sustaining clinicians with the right information in decision-making. This applies across different care settings using the combination of clinical technologies, tools as well as information guidance. This population-based evidence with the traits of people to offer situations as well as patient-specific recommendations in decision making (Rochester et al, 2020). By carefully handling user requirements and patient safety can make sure CDS implementation is effective as well as enhance patient outcomes.

Older patients face various barriers in decision-making as well as exercising their legal capacity (Seibert et al, 2021). The patient impacts decisions after losing the capacity to make healthcare decisions which are on the behalf of their interest. Capacity might affect the individual stress level, anxiety as well as medication. The informed consent process supports the individual in reaching the moral decisions which assist in ensuring their dignity as well as self-worth. Healthcare staff need to inform patients regarding their rights to be involved in decision-making regarding their care. The Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) emphasizes on initiating as well as leading resuscitation for ill patients.

Ethical dilemmas approaching an end-of-life revolve around decisions to withhold interventions or treatment. The legal procedure to withdraw life-supporting treatment affords compassion, dignity as well as quality of life to the ill person. Patients need to be involved in the determination of DNR orders (Smith, Steinman and Casey, 2020). Respect for the autonomy of the patient seeking to initiate treatment needs to be questioned which leads to harm. The decision to withdraw life-sustaining interventions can be emotionally as well as ethically challenging to all included. Withdrawing life-sustaining treatments might be ethically justified which best serves the interest of a patient. Death and life decisions are the fundamental part of nursing in the integrity of the nursing profession.

Under the Criminal Law Act 1993, the people who abet and aids suicide of another shall be guilty of the offense as well as shall be liable to imprisonment for the term. The laws prohibiting suicide have been abolished to avoid criminalization the mentally ill to seek assistance (Shao et al, 2023). Advocating for enhanced palliative care supports euthanasia as the compassionate option for those faced with the unbearable suffering. The objective of end-of-life care is to control pain as well as other symptoms so that the old age patient can be as comfortable as possible. This might include supportive care, palliative care as well as hospice care. Committee on the heath suggested that there is no unnecessary delay in incorporating the legislation on the adult safeguarding (Montero-Odasso et al, 2021). Ethical health care includes principles which make sure that the patients are provided with the best accessible care which respects their rights. The understanding of these lawful and legal aspects is significant to ensure the compliance with the regulations as well as protect the rights of the old age patients.

Do-not-attempt-resuscitation (DNAR) are designed to facilitate the patients opting out of receiving the cardiopulmonary recovery in the event. DNAR orders are specific for the patients medically at risk of the cardiopulmonary arrest. This directs the healthcare team to withhold the resuscitative measures for patient interest. Most ethical dilemmas on the basis of DNR orders arise because of a lack of communication among the family, patient as well as healthcare team (D'cruz and Banerjee, 2020). While advocating for enhanced palliative care support the euthanasia as a compassionate option for those dealing with the unbearable suffering. It has been argued that offering assisted dying can be in the best interest of the patient when it prevents unbearable pain as well as distress. This supports the patient's engagement in daily activities which contribute to active preparation for dying.

Changing the health needs, rising public expectations as well as ambitious new health objectives raise the bar for the healthcare system to provide with the improved health outcomes as well as social values (Mahendradhata et al, 2021). Ethical frameworks are vital tools which are designed to help the physicians as well as others included in complicated moral decisions. Healthcare ethics and law is the comprehensive program which take the interdisciplinary strategy to offer people with the knowledge as well skills.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the primary ethical challenge is to balance the old people's rights to privacy as well as autonomy with the need to protect them from the harmful practices. Older individuals create the range of ethical dilemmas which warn the use of the best practices which respect their integrity, rights, dignity as well as safety of the old people. While motivating the significance among the communication as well as ethics of care, there is a need to adopt the person-centered approach which acknowledges the autonomy of the old people. This is significant to understand that the majority of the old people are not destined to require long-term care.

Ethics committees offer help in handling the ethical challenges which arise in the patient care as well as facilitate sound decisions. Various ethics committees help with ethics-related educational programs as well as policy development in the care settings. Informed consent to the medical treatment is fundamental in law and ethics which assists the patient to make the decisions regarding their treatment and care. Individual approach to the accessible treatment options of patients priorities as well as values.

References

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