Legal / Ethics

2008 state legislative wrap-up

Legislatively, 2008 was a good year for nursing. In many states, safe nurse staffing laws, mandatory overtime restrictions, and safe patient-handling legislation got the thumbs-up.
ethics

A question of conscience

To: Ethics Advisory Board    From: Concerned RN Subject: Refusal to participate Two nurses on my unit have submitted written notification stating that they would no longer participate…

A Year of Gifts

Our editor-in-chief reviews important accomplishments in the past year and presents a nursing "wish list".

An invitation to error

What happens when you’re short staffed and there isn’t anyone to help?

ANA endorses Hillary Clinton for President

This has certainly been an interesting and exciting presidential election year. I hope many of you have been tuned in and by now have learned that ANA has…

ANA endorses Kid Safe Chemicals Act

Acting on a directive from the 2006 House of Delegates, ANA has endorsed the Kid Safe Chemicals Act. The bill would ensure for the first time that all…

ANA President Attends White House Meeting

Karen Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, newly elected president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), attended a meeting at the White House in recognition of the 90-day anniversary…
thank you gift patient giving

Beyond a box of chocolates

Often, patients and families express their gratitude for a special nurse’s outstanding care with spoken thanks or heartfelt commendations written to a nursing supervisor. Some even offer a…
gift patient gratitude thanks acceptance

Beyond a box of chocolates

Often, patients and families express their gratitude for a special nurse’s outstanding care with spoken thanks or heartfelt commendations written to a nursing supervisor. Some even offer a…

Building the case for chemical policy reform

Over the past three decades, we have become increasingly aware of the impact that our environment, and chemical exposures in particular, has on our nation’s health. We know…

Carrots and sticks

The Stick—penalties for excess readmissions Is your hospital on the list? Starting this month, over 2,200 hospitals are forfeiting up to 1% of their base Medicare payments as…

Case study: Coerced consent

“Coercion is commonly said to invalidate consent, and that is always true if the source of the coercion is the physician.

Case Study: How much is enough?

Three-year-old Christy* has been in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) since birth, when she was diagnosed with McCune-Albright syndrome and multiple other conditions that left her…

CMS awards funding for APRN training

On July 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the participants for a new initiative that provides funds to support clinical training of advanced practice…

Concerns about calling out sick

I’m a new nurse employed in a hospital and would like to better understand a nurse’s responsibility around calling out sick. On the inpatient unit where I’ve worked…

Conflict about pain relief at the end of life

To: Ethics Advisory Board From: A worried relative Subject: Pain and suffering I have a cousin who was diagnosed 5 months ago with end-stage liver cancer. The cancer…
COVID-19 syndemic

Considering the COVID-19 syndemic

To: Ethics Advisory Board     From: An alarmed nurse Subject: Nursing’s responses to pandemic-fueled inequities I’m troubled that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only exposed but also worsened health…

Crime doesn’t pay

Fraud and abuse account for up to 10% of U.S. healthcare expenditures. What should you do if you suspect potential healthcare fraud or abuse?

Dear Members of Congress

In an open letter to Congress, Dr. Cipriano urges legislators to leverage nurses’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to help bring order to a chaotic healthcare system.

Documentation: You’ve got a lot to lose

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, fraud is “the intentional deception or misrepresentation made by a person with the knowledge that the deception could result…

Doing the most good

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides many benefits.

Editorial

To achieve higher quality of care and help transform our healthcare system, we need to don our customized tool belts, get to work, and be willing to abandon…

Environement, health, and safety

Bullying is an abusive behavior that threatens the safety of healthcare workers. Nurses should examine their own interactions to see if they are exhibiting this undesirable behavior.

Ethical challenges in enforcing dress codes

I’ve seen some backlash on social media after our organization issued a dress code policy that addressed hairstyle. I know policies that are restrictive for certain ethnicities aren’t…
standards of care

Ethics and crisis standards of care

To: Ethics Advisory Board From: Contingently confused Subject: Conventional, contingency, and crisis standards of care Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I keep hearing about different levels of care. What…

Ethics case study: ‘Just watch them die…’

According to the Associated Press, a Brookdale Senior Residence facility* worker who identified herself as a nurse, refused to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to Lorraine Bayless, an 87-year-old…

Ethics for nurses in everyday practice

In recent years, most of the world’s people have celebrated their diversity: different races and languages, religions and cultures, and social mores. These differences are what make life…

Ethics of bedside arraignments

To: Ethics inbox  From: Concerned RN Subject: Bedside arraignments I am a medical-surgical nurse and admitted a patient to my unit who was arrested and injured during the…

Ethics, relatively speaking

To: Ethics inbox From: Puzzled nursing instructor Subject: “Putting away” your moral beliefs? Recently, a nursing student wrote this as part of a course assignment: “Ethics can be…

FDA looks to improve medical device review process

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to implement changes in 2011 designed to improve review of medical devices. Read more at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm240418.htm.

FDA marks 50 years of Kefauver-Harris amendment

This year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is marking the anniversary of the Kefauver-Harris amendment, passed 50 years ago. The legislation gave FDA weight to require…

Federal legislative agenda

Promoting the critical role nurses play in the health of patients and the nation, as well as guaranteeing a strong nursing workforce into the future, are core components…

Finance: It’s not a dirty word

Your chief nursing officer stops you in the hall. To your surprise, she asks, “Jen, why don’t you apply for that charge nurse position that’s opening up on…
activism nurse political

From apathy to political activism

When someone mentions the words politics and nursing in the same sentence, do you roll your eyes? Do you think to yourself or ask aloud, “What does this…

From Your ANA President

Nurses must step up and become a primary force in reshaping the nation’s healthcare system.

From Your ANA President

The recently launched Initiative on the Future of Nursing seeks to address the challenges facing the nursing profession and to improve healthcare quality and delivery. It’s time for…

From Your ANA President

November 6, 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. ANA’s new president reviews the progress made in reducing bloodborne pathogen exposures over the…

From Your ANA President

As she ends her term as ANA President, Rebecca Patton urges nurses to demonstrate their leadership and help make the provisions of the new healthcare reform act a…

Headlines from the Hill

ANA supports the Medicare Patient Access and Quality Improvement Act, which would repeal the Medicare sustainable growth rate and reform Medicare Part B payment

Headlines from the Hill

Find out what has been accomplished during the 112th Congress and what healthcare professionals stand to lose if our country goes over the "fiscal cliff."

Headlines from the Hill

To mark the 2-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, ANA took part in a celebration recognizing the law’s patient protections.

Headlines from the Hill

By taking part in ANA’s Lobby Day, nurses can join forces to educate elected officials on the critical issues facing nursing today. This content is for Digital Access…

Headlines from the Hill

CMS has proposed major changes to the rule for Medical Conditions of Participation, which can significantly affect nursing practice. This content is for Digital Access and Print Plus…

Headlines from the Hill

The August legislation that raised the debt ceiling was the first round in the government spending debate. Safety-net programs may be on the Congressional chopping block in the…

Headlines from the Hill

ANA recently cohosted a Senate Nursing Caucus briefing to present final results from the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, and participated in a healthcare reform conference…

Headlines from the Hill

ANA CEO “stars” with actress Jessica Alba in the fight against toxic chemicals.

Headlines from the Hill

Congress has reintroduced the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act, which would allow APRNs to order home health services under Medicare.

Headlines from the Hill

The Republicans now control the House of Representatives. No matter what policy objectives either party tries to enact, ANA will continue to ensure that the voice of nursing…

Headlines from the Hill

ANA’s Lobby Day gave nurses the chance to meet congressional representatives and lobby in support of issues important to nursing.

Headlines from the Hill

By meeting in-person with their congressional representatives, nurses can garner support for the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act, which would allow advanced practice nurses to order home…

Headlines from the Hill

As one of three nurses in Congress, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) has been a champion for nursing, introducing and cosponsoring bills to advance the nursing profession. One…

Headlines from the Hill

ANA supports two Congressional bills that would improve patient safety and protect RNs from debilitating injuries caused by manual patient lifting/

Headlines from the Hill Dollars and…sense?

As Congress nears the "fiscal cliff" and the so-called sequester with its across-the-board spending cuts, ANA will continue to advocate for funding of programs important to nurses.

Healthy and wise

A coalition of medical societies has joined together to put the brakes on healthcare overuse and excesses.

How to comment on government regulations

You can get directly involved in developing public health policy by submitting your comments on proposed government regulations to federal departments and agencies.

Issues up close

Enduring and evolving: Code of Ethics for Nurses

Issues up close

ANA has joined the Partnership for Patients to improve patient safety.

Issues up close

This article details how patients are affected by APRNs’ current inability to order home health services.

Issues up close

ANA’s House of Delegates recently approved a resolution supporting health care for all. The author examines the social, economic, and political ramifications of undocumented immigrants’ lack of access…

Issues up close

Family nurse practitioner (FNP) and nurse-midwife Karen Holder, FNP-BC, CNM, MHS, sees patients at a large primary care clinic in Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as at small satellite…

Issues up close

Nurses in the Department, Veterans Administration, Federal Nurses Association (FedNA), and other groups are collaborating to make sue the healthcare needs of active-duty military personnel and veterans are…

Letters to the Editor – November 2008

Easy and inexpensive   Thank you for Susan Fetzer’s excellent article, “Putting a stop to postop nausea and vomiting,” in the August  issue. One treatment that wasn’t mentioned is…

Medical futility: A nurse’s viewpoint

Caring for a medically futile patient can be a wrenching emotional experience. Learn how to cope with the complex medical, ethical, and legal issues and help patients and…

Medical gaslighting: Why don’t you hear me?

In my time as a nurse, I’ve observed patients’ concerns being dismissed as nonconsequential or in their heads. I’ve found these patients to be sincere and quite clear…
Medication errors Best Practices

Medication errors: Best Practices

A medication error can occur in any healthcare setting-with devastating consequences. The authors describe weaknesses in the key elements of medication use and propose ways to make drug…

NEJM interviews HHS Secretary on healthcare reform

The New England Journal of Medicine features an interview about healthcare reform with Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Read more at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1014722.

New guidelines for treatment of malaria

The World Health Organization has released new guidelines for malaria treatment to counter the misuse of anti-malarial drugs. Access the guidelines at http://www.who.int/malaria/en/.

No peeking allowed

Electronic health records give healthcare providers faster, more efficient access to patient information. Experts hope to make the data less vulnerable to security breaches.
Ethics

Nurse responsibility in advancing global health

To: Ethics Advisory Board From: Volunteer RN Subject: Global health outreach With the recent earthquake in Haiti and the devastation that country has experienced, I feel compelled to…

Nursing ethics for a gig economy

To: Ethics Advisory Board From: Overworked RN Subject: Freelance nursing I’m exhausted. My unit is always short staffed. I’m asked to work longer hours and come in on…
Nursing's role in healthcare reform

Nursing’s role in healthcare reform

The 2010 healthcare reform act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA) gives nurses new opportunities to deliver care and play an integral role in leading change.…

Our “knowing-doing” gap

Something as simple and low – tech as the checklist can help healthcare providers close the knowing – doing gap.

Our Readers Respond

How do we get into morally questionable situations? I love this article. As a current student in the nursing program, I find it incredibly important to watch my…

Physician supports APRNs in Atlantic article

John Rowe, a physician who is professor in the department of health policy and management at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, has written “Why Nurses…

Problems with Privacy

Leah Curtin discusses how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been misinterpreted to the detriment of patients.

Promoting civility in the workplace

To: Ethics Inbox    From: An ANA member Subject: Bullying and incivility Bullying and incivility are rampant on my nursing unit. My manager doesn’t address the situation, which…
protecting-privacy

Protecting privacy while supporting nurses

To: Ethics Advisory Board    From: Concerned emergency department clinical manager Subject: Patient/family privacy and nurses’ well-being   A patient was brought to our emergency department (ED) from home…
Protecting yourself from malpractice claims

Protecting yourself from malpractice claims

As nursing practice becomes more autonomous, nurses are becoming more vulnerable to lawsuits. Learn how to avoid being sued for malpractice and what to do if you are…

Research ethics: What nurses need to know

To: Ethics Advisory Board    From: Conscientious RN Subject: Patient care during research  I’ve been asked to care for patients who are participating in a research study. What…

Science: A universal source of ethics?

“It really doesn’t matter whether you are Muslim or Christian or Jew. In every religion, in every country, in every region at every time, there are some basic…
ibuprofen medication meds pills pill

Take Note – December 2006

CDC recommends HIV screening for everyone New recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call for routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening for all patients…
washing wash hands hygiene note

Take Note – October 2007

Medicare to stop reimbursing hospitals for eight preventable conditions Medicare will stop paying hospitals for the extra costs of treating eight conditions stemming from preventable errors—falls, pressure ulcers,…

Take Note – Sept/Oct 2009

Patients lose when nurse staffing is insufficient Heavy workloads and insufficient staffing affect patient care, according to about 2,000 nurses surveyed worldwide by the International Council of Nurses…

Taking it to the top

ANA and state associations promote health system reform The importance of health system reform can seem like a distant memory when gas prices are going through the roof…

The evolving role of the forensic nurse

Even if they’re not portrayed on the TV shows "CSI" or "Law & Order: SVU," forensic nurses are pivotal in real-life forensic cases. Catch up on the dynamic,…

The patient engagement imperative

Engaging patients is essential to ensure optimal reimbursement. Here are tips for engagement that leaders can apply in their organizations

To make health care better, I would…

To make health care better, I would… …mandate every patient have a primary RN who knows the patient’s past health history, socioeconomic status, health risks, medications, and potential…

Using large language models in nursing education

I’m a nurse educator and realize that artificial intelligence (AI) crossing over into the academic environment via ChatGPT and other chatbots affects how we frame the use of…

What to do when you’re being investigated

Being under scrutiny can rattle even the toughest RN. Our legal expert, LaTonia Denise Wright, BSN, RN, JD, explains how to protect your rights if you’re caught up…

What’s in a name?

What’s in a name? Editor’s note: The information below was provided by United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP). It may be freely reproduced and distributed, for non-commercial use only.…
Tripping over the welcome mat: Why new nurses don’t stay and what the evidence says we can do about it

When good people make hard choices…*

Leah Curtin discusses the difficulty of making choices in health care and includes a challenging situation she experienced as a student.

Why disruption can be a good thing

Seventy-two seconds into liftoff, a defective mechanical part set off a string of events that caused the Challenger space shuttle to tear apart as millions watched it vanish…

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