Law and ethics for nursing

• Law refers to the rules and regulations established by a government that govern conduct. In nursing, this includes statutes and legal precedents related to patient rights, scope of practice, documentation, and accountability. Examples include nurse practice acts, which define what nurses can and cannot do, and laws protecting patient confidentiality (like HIPAA in the US).
• Ethics refers to moral principles that guide conduct. Nursing ethics involves applying moral theories and principles to dilemmas encountered in practice. Key ethical principles include autonomy (respecting a patient's right to make their own decisions), beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest), non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and justice (fair distribution of resources and care). Ethical codes, such as those from the American Nurses Association (ANA), provide guidance for professional conduct.

These two domains are interconnected; legal standards often reflect ethical principles, and ethical practice helps nurses avoid legal issues.