Legal And Ethical Issues Flashcards
System of legal deference within judicial system
- Deference is accorded to higher courts within same jurisdiction
- State courts over local courts
- Appellate courts over lower courts
- Supreme court over appellate court
Common law
Body of law formed by court decisions of individual disputes that establishes judicial precedent
Common law rules change based on…
Changing societal values, norms and cultures
Statues
- Laws created by state or federal legislatures
- Modify existing law or regulate new subject matter
- Responsibility for promulgating rules can be delegated to an administrative agency
- May preempt rules and regulations of administrative agencies
- Reflect societal norms and social order
Federal law
- Based on the United States Constitution
- Basis for all other laws
- State statutes must comply with and be at least as strict as
State law
Regulates activities within the state’s jurisdiction
Civil law
Addresses the rights and duties of persons within a particular state
Criminal law
Enacted to preserve public order
Administrative law
Consists of rules and regulations established by administrative agencies within each state that give effect to the state laws
Tort
Refers to a private wrong against the person or property of another.
These wrongs are compensated with money damages
Examples of torts
- Fraud
- Invasion of privacy
- Defamation
Nursing negligence
The omission (failure to do something) or commission (doing something) that violates that standard of care of an occupational and environmental health nurse
Standard of care
Refers to what the average, reasonable and prudent occupational and environmental health nurse would do in the same or similar circumstances
Duty
The obligation that an occupational and environmental health nurse has to workers in a specific work setting to prevent foreseeable harm
Breach of duty
Occurs when the occupational and environmental health nurse fails to provide care according to the reasonable occupational health nurse standard
Examples of negligence
- Failure to assess and make proper nursing diagnosis
- Failure to observe and monitor
- Failure to take action
- Failure to communicate danger
- Delay in obtaining assistance
- Medication errors
- Failure to obtain informed consent
Informed consent
A worker’s decision about a treatment or action plan is made with a clear understanding, including material risks, benefits and alternative treatments
To give informed consent, the worker must be advised of the following…
- Nature and purpose of proposed treatment
- Diagnosis
- Material risks of proposed treatment
- Alternative treatments
- Consequences of lack of treatment
Purposes of informed consent include…
- Allows the worker to make a decision based upon all known information
- Ensures accountability of health professionals
In order to be valid, informed consent must have the following characteristics…
- Given freely and without coercion
2. Given with full understanding
The person giving informed consent must be…
Competent
- Mentally
- Physically
- Legally
Malpractice
Negligence that involves professional misconduct or unreasonable lack of skill
Statute of limitations
The period of time within which a lawsuit must be filed after a tort occurs
Statute of limitations for negligence
2 years
Statute of limitations for malpractice
1 year
Occupational and environmental health nurses are responsible for maintaining a current knowledge of laws affecting occupational health practice in the jurisdiction they practice including:
- Changes in state administrative rules for the practice of nursing (State Board of Nursing)
- Changes in state administrative rules that affect the practice of the occupational and environmental health nurse (State Board of Pharmacy or State Board of Medicine)
- Changes in state and federal legislation that affect the practice of the occupational and environmental health nurse (laws)
Why may there be inconsistencies in occupational and environmental health between actual practice and legal guidelines of practice
Because of the dynamic and evolving nature of occupational and environmental health
Why may interpretation of laws, rules, and regulations change?
- they are dynamic
- they will change as new cases are decided (common law) and legal precedents are established
OSH Act was signed into law on
December 29, 1970
The purpose of OSH Act is to…
Assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources
OSH Act applies to:
Employers and workers within the United States and any territory under US jurisdiction
The OSH Act does not apply to:
- Self employed persons
- Immediate members of farm families that do not employ outside workers
- Industries regulated by other federal agencies or state and local governments
Examples of industries regulated by federal agencies or state and local governments
- Mining
- Nuclear
- Air transportation
—— was created as a result of the OSH Act
OSHA
OSHA is a regulatory agency within…..
The US Department of Labor
OSHA is responsible for….
Enacting, administering and enforcing standards to provide workplace health and safety
OSHA was the first attempt by Congress to….
Provide a comprehensive program to protect the health and safety of American workers
States may choose to administer their own occupational helth and safety program with the following provisions:
- OSHA approves the state program
- State’s program applies to all workers and includes state, local and private sector workers
- The state’s statutes must be as strict as federal OSHA requirements; otherwise OSHA standards apply- states can be more restrictive
States and territories with Occuaotional Safety and Health Adminstrations
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Puerto Rico
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Virgin Islands
- Washington
- Wyoming
States and territories with Occupational Safety and Health Administrations that cover public sector employees only
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- New York
- Virgin Islands
General Duty Clause of the OSH Act:&
Employers are require to furnish all workers with employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm
The General Duty Clause can be invoked for…..
Hazards not covered by an OSHA standard as an important means of protecting workers, because setting standards is often a slow process
OSHA has the responsibility to ————- in accordance with Section 6 of the OSH Act
Promulgate legally enforceable occupational health and safety standards
Standards are developed to
Eliminate or reduce risks
OSHA standards must be….
Reasonably necessary or appropriate to provide safe of healthful employment and places of employment
The development of OSHA standards is an —- process
Interdisciplinary
OSHA standard development involves individuals from the fields of:
- Healthcare
- Epidemiology
- Law
- Economics
- Industrial hygiene