Legal and Ethical Conduct

As emphasized in this weekâs media presentation, all nurses need to be familiar with the laws and regulations that govern their practice: their stateâs Nurse Practice Act, ANAâs Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, specialty group standards of practice, etc. In addition, basic ethical principles guide nursesâ decision-making process every day. ANAâs Code of Ethics and ANAâs Social Policy Statement are two important documents that outline nursesâ ethical responsibilities to their patients, themselves, and their profession. This said, there is a dilemma: The laws are not always compatible with the ethical positions nurses sometimes take. This weekâs Discussion focuses on such a dilemma.