Investigate Ethical-Legal Principles and Dilemmas Related to Health Care
Nursing abandonment entails action by a nurse to secede from delivering care services to a given patient without effectively transferring the patient’s care to another qualified healthcare provider. It poses ethical and legal questions because it involves patient safety, quality of care, and medical practitioners’ liability. Nurses should care for their patients, and information sharing for patient care should be done seamlessly: Investigate Ethical-Legal Principles and Dilemmas Related to Health Care.
The case scenario, as depicted by Wendy RN, has an issue arranging professionalism with personal exigencies that have created ethical-legal issues. In this discussion, there shall be a general description of the ethical and legal consequences of abandonment in health care, coupled with methods of establishing reinvention and a course of action for preventing malpractice.
Ethical Implications of Abandonment
Abandonment is an ethically wrong practice in nursing based on the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity. Beneficence means acting in the patient’s best interest, as the patient’s needs must be anticipated and met. The action by Wendy to leave without giving a detailed handover violates this principle since the patient was found in respiratory distress as a 4-year-old.
Nonmaleficence calls on nurses not to inflict harm. Wendy’s failure to inform her colleague about the patient’s dependency on oxygen or to monitor the IV line increased the risk of damage, which led to the death of the patient (Jung & McDowell, 2023).
Fidelity, rooted in loyalty and dedication to professional duties, was compromised as well. Wendy’s sudden decision to leave and entrust Lisa, RN, who is far junior to her, undermined the trust that patients and colleagues could have placed in her position. Ethical codes, such as those propounded by the American Nurses Association, emphasize the requirement of communication and accountability for the care provided. Hence, abandonment goes against the moral construct of nursing (ANA, 2024).
Notably, ethical dilemmas arise when nurses are positioned to weigh personal obligations against professional responsibilities, as Haahr et al. (2020) noted. Although Wendy’s case was an emergency, ethical principles require her to ensure the patient’s care through proper handover before leaving. This lack of prioritization opens a gap in ethical decision-making and adherence to professional standards.
Legal Implications of Abandonment
Legally, nursing abandonment can take severe dimensions in both civil and criminal law. On the civil side, if the patient gets harmed as a result of the act by the nurse, such can give rise to malpractice claims or simple negligence lawsuits. In the present case, the child’s death can be invoked to support a wrongful death claim.
Criminal charges, although less likely, may be filed if gross negligence can be demonstrated, particularly if the nurse’s actions indicate wanton indifference to patient safety. Wendy’s failure to ensure proper handover and continuity of care might amount to a breach of duty, an essential component required to establish negligence. In most legal systems, it would then be decided whether the nurse acted to the accepted standard of care (Heck et al., 2022).
Here, Wendy’s action of leaving the facility without arranging for proper care of the patients was a violation of professional standards and placed her at risk for action by the state board of nursing, civil suits, or even revocation of licensure. Further, there are legal requirements for practice as a nurse, specifically the responsibility to protect every patient under one’s care, which Wendy did not respect.
Preventing Malpractice: Accountability in Leadership Roles
Systemic strategies to advance accountability and minimize risks of malpractice in the role of nurse educator, executive leader, or nurse practitioner include:
Education and Training
Nurse educators can emphasize abandonment’s ethical and legal ramifications during training programs. Case studies, simulations, and ethics workshops can prepare nurses to navigate complex situations, ensuring they understand their professional obligations even in emergencies, as Elendu et al. (2024) indicated.
Policy Development
It is important that nurse leaders clearly address issues of abandonment in their workplace. They should be part of policies concerning proper response to personal emergencies with measures to safeguard the patient, whether following delegation or notifying the immediate supervisor. Measures like these clear any vagueness and establish a guideline for a systematic approach to something that has not been expected (Heck et al., 2022).
Promoting Communication
According to Ghosh et al. (2021), some of the good handover practices include the use of templates such as SBARs, which stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. These are leaders who should make sure that strategies for communication minimize errors during change-over shifts.
Accountability Mechanisms
Comparing some aspects of care delivery through audits and incident reviews helps to find organizational and management issues that hurt the culture. Other preventive measures are coaching and counselling and even correction measures like retraining to prevent future risks. The accountability processes that are in place foster the right level of transparency and recurrent improvement in clinical facilities.
Support Systems
Leaders will ensure that nurses can access resources such as backup staffing or emotional support during crises. This reduces the possibility of impulsive decisions such as sudden withdrawal from duty. In so doing, leaders create an enabling environment where nurses feel supported and empowered to execute their roles effectively (Heck et al., 2022).
Legal Awareness
Nurse practitioners and leaders are responsible for spreading awareness among staff members regarding the legal implications of abandonment and its potential to harm patients and jeopardize careers. Awareness of relevant legal statutes and professional guidelines will empower nurses to act responsibly in difficult situations.
Conclusion
Abandonment in healthcare is a breach of ethical and legal duties that compromises patient safety and professional accountability. Wendy’s actions caused great harm in the case presented, highlighting the need for ethical and legal vigilance. The nurse must never compromise communication, continuity of care, and the patient’s welfare, even in personal emergencies.
In the face of personal challenges, a healthcare professional requires strong support systems and measures to ensure no lapses in care. Leadership roles in nursing demand the creation of an accountable culture through education, communication, and policy enforcement to mitigate malpractice risks. Ultimately, it is the observance of ethical and legal principles that protect the patients and the integrity of the nursing profession.
References
American Nurses Association. (2024). Code of ethics for nurses. American Nurses Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/
Elendu, C., Amaechi, D. C., Okatta, A. U., Amaechi, E. C., Elendu, T. C., Ezeh, C. P., & Elendu, I. D. (2024). The impact of simulation-based training in medical education: A review. Medicine, 103(27), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000038813
Ghosh, S., Ramamoorthy, L., & pottakat, B. (2021). Impact of structured clinical handover protocol on communication and patient satisfaction. Journal of Patient Experience, 8(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373521997733
Haahr, A., Norlyk, A., Martinsen, B., & Dreyer, P. (2020). Nurses experiences of ethical dilemmas: A review. Nursing Ethics, 27(1), 258–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733019832941
Heck, L. O., Carrara, B. S., Mendes, I. A. C., & Arena Ventura, C. A. (2022). Nursing and advocacy in health: An integrative review. Nursing Ethics, 29(4), 1014–1034. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330211062981
Jung, S., & McDowell, R. H. (2023). Abandonment. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33085432/
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Question
Investigate ethical-legal principles and dilemmas related to health care.
Wendy RN, has worked at Hope Hospital for over three years in the pediatric unit. She has accepted the day shift assignment consisting of five pediatric patients under the age of 10, three RSV patients and two sickle cell anemia patients. Two of the patients have mothers in attendance, the remainder have no family member or caretaker.
Wendy is working with Lisa RN, who has less than one year of experience working at Hope Hospital and has recently cross trained to the pediatric unit.
Wendy has a half hour to go on her shift and has just completed all duties addressing patient care when she receives a text message from her husband alerting her that her son was injured during a football game and is on his way to the community hospital in that town.
Wendy informs Lisa that she has to leave and why and that she can get all the information regarding her patients from each patient chart. Wendy informs Lisa to report to the oncoming shift which will be Susan RN and quickly grabs her coat and leaves.
Susan working the pm shift arrives on time and looks for Wendy for report. Lisa who sees Susan quickly comes down the hall to notify Susan that Wendy left in a hurry and that she is the only nurse on the floor for the last half hour. Susan asks Lisa for a report, and Lisa states she did not get a report by Wendy regarding each of her patients but that she was told by Wendy that all documentation on each patient was completed.
Susan RN has been a nurse for over five years in the pediatric unit. She quickly notifies the nurse manager of what occurred and proceeds to provide her nursing responsibilities and duties to each of the five patients. Susan notices upon entering the room of the 4-year-old RSV patient that the oxygen is no longer in use and that the child is exhibiting signs of respiratory distress. Susan also notices IV infiltrate in the patient’s right hand which is puffy and sore when palpated. Susan is notified of the demise of the child a day later.
A year later, Wendy is notified to meet with the risk management and legal departments concerning an incident related to a 4-year-old RVS patient she provided care to.

Investigate Ethical-Legal Principles and Dilemmas Related to Health Care
Directions:
- Write an introduction on abandonment and the role of the nurse.
- Explain the ethical implications of abandonment.
- Determine the legal implications of abandonment related to either civil or criminal law.
- In your future role as a nurse educator, an executive leader, or nurse practitioner, select methods to support accountability in the prevention of malpractice.
- Write a conclusion presenting key takeaways.
This paper should be 3 pages in length, not including title and reference pages.
Be sure to include scholarly resources to support your written work. At least Three
Assessment Requirements:
Before finalizing your work, you should:
- be sure to read the assessment description carefully (as displayed above);
- consult the Grading Rubric (under the Course Resources) to make sure you have included everything necessary;
- utilize spelling and grammar check to minimize errors; and
- review APA formatting and citation information found in the Academic Success Center, online, or elsewhere in the course.
Your writing assessment should:
- follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.)
- be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful;
- display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics; and
- use APA 7th edition formatting and citation style.