Guides: Nursing: Law & Ethics

eBooks

Voluntary euthanasia and assisted dying (2020) The topic of voluntary euthanasia and assisted dying has a long history of impassioned political and community debate in Australia, often appearing to raise more questions than answers.
Reproductive Ethics (2019) Recent advancements in the use and availability of ART treatments such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), gamete donation and surrogacy have raised numerous ethical considerations.
Indigenous People and Criminal Justice (2019) Research and statistics on Indigenous imprisonment, and reviews progress on addressing Aboriginal deaths in custody recommendations and reforming the detention of young Indigenous people.

Websites

Professional Standards

Codes of Conduct - Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) (2023) The Code of Conduct for Nurses sets out legal requirements, professional behaviour and conduct expectations for all nurses, in all practice settings, in Australia.
International Council of Nurses (ICN) Code of Ethics for Nurses The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses has served as the standard for nurses worldwide since it was first adopted in 1953.
Nursing and Midwifery Board - Enrolled nurse standards for practice The enrolled nurse standards for practice are the core practice standards that provide the framework for assessing enrolled nurse practice.
Code of ethics for midwives - Nursing and Midwifery Board. The primary source of information for this document is on the Professional standards web page - Nursing and Midwifery Board website.
Codes of ethics for nurses - Nursing and Midwifery Board The primary source of information for this document is on the Professional standards web page - Nursing and Midwifery Board website.

Legislation & Laws

Government and Organisational Websites

Advance Health Directives WA Dept of Health
The Aged Care Quality Standards (Quality Standards) (2022) The Commission expects organisations providing aged care services in Australia to comply with the Quality Standards. Access the Aged Care Quality Standards resources Download the Aged Care Quality Standards app for Apple and Android Download the Aged Care Quality Standards fact sheet Watch the Aged Care Quality Standards educational video
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - AHPRA All States and Territories have enacted the National Law. See AHPRA for the latest acts.
National Health and Medical Research Council The NHMRC is Australia's peak body for supporting health and medical research; for developing health advice for the Australian community, health professionals and governments; and for providing advice on ethical behaviour in health care and in the conduct of health and medical research.
Open Disclosure Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare.
Reporting Adverse Events Adverse events are unintended and sometimes harmful occurrences associated with the use of a medicine, vaccine or medical device (collectively known as therapeutic goods). Adverse events include side effects to medicines and vaccines, and problems or incidents involving medical devices.
WA Dept Health Legal Policy Communication and disclosure requirements for health professionals working in Western Australia

Professional Boundaries

Understanding professional boundaries Care work requires a level of trust and intimacy unique to the profession. In a single day, healthcare workers may touch, dress, shower, feed, toilet, speak to, console, cheer up, and listen to one or several clients; no small feat.

Websites Human Rights

Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights The key rights of patients and consumers when seeking or receiving healthcare services.
Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights The key rights of patients and consumers when seeking or receiving healthcare services.
Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the new name of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The Commission was established in 1986 by an act of the federal Parliament. They are an independent statutory organisation and report to the federal Parliament through the Attorney-General.
WA Dept Health Legal Policy Communication and disclosure requirements for health professionals working in Western Australia

Activity 1

VAPS Ethical Decision Making Toolkit - Ethical capabilities resources Download the booklet and look at making the games

Activity 2

https://humanrights.gov.au/introhumanrights/

Videos

Nursing Professionalism: Integrity and Honesty (12:40 Minutes) - 2023/b>

Books

Law for Nurses and Midwives. 9th Edition (2020) Law for Nurses and Midwives continues to be the definitive health law text for nursing and midwifery students who are required to consider legal, professional and ethical considerations as part of their tertiary studies.
Ethics and Law for Australian Nurses (2020) Provides a practical framework for understanding the ethical and legal dimensions of nursing practice. Revised to include updates to legislation, the NMBA professional standards and case examples.
Integrating Law, Ethics and Regulation (2019) Integrating Law, Regulation and Ethics introduces students to the responsibilities and standards in health care derived from legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks.
Ethics, Law and Health Care (2019) The book approaches these issues using the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Codes of Ethics, the Codes of Professional Conduct and the four principles of biomedical ethics Autonomy Non-maleficence Beneficence Justice.