As of 2011 there were only a handful of state laws and no federal laws mandating the existence of ethics committees.

However, there was a mandate for ethics committee made in the private, although influential, accreditation standards of the Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization, that is seen as the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare (Pope, 2011).

In addition to Joint Commission the American Medical Director Association (AMDA) recommends that each facility should have an ethics "mechanism" to assist in managing decisions such as do-not-resuscitate and other end-of-life issues (AMDA).

Research nursing home ethics committees and write a 2 - 3 page paper on why a nursing home should have an ethics committee and what the responsibilities of the committee are.

Support your statements with evidence from the Required Studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.