Week 2: Ethical And Legal Foundations Of PMHNP Care Across ✓ Solved

Week 2: Ethical and Legal Foundations of PMHNP Care Across

In your role as a PMHNP, you will regularly encounter situations that require your ability to make sound judgments and practice decisions for the safety and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. There may not be a clear-cut answer of how to address the issue, but your ethical decision making must be based on evidence-based practice and what is good, right, and beneficial for patients. You will encounter patients who do not hold your values, but you must remain professional and unbiased in the care you provide to all patients regardless of their background or worldview.

You must be prepared to critically analyze ethical situations and develop an appropriate plan of action. Advanced practice nursing in all specialties is guided by codes of ethics that put the care, rights, duty, health, and safety of the patient first and foremost. PMHNP practice is also guided by ethical codes specifically for psychiatry. These ethical codes are frameworks to guide clinical decision making; they are generally not prescriptive. They also represent the aspirational ideals for the profession. Laws, on the other hand, dictate the requirements that must be followed.

For this Discussion, you select a topic that has both legal and ethical implications for PMHNP practice and then perform a literature review on the topic. Your goal will be to identify the most salient legal and ethical facets of the issue for PMHNP practice, and also how these facets differ in the care of adult patients versus children. To Prepare, select one of the following ethical/legal topics: Autonomy, Beneficence, Justice, Fidelity, Veracity, Involuntary hospitalization and due process of civil commitment, Informed assent/consent and capacity, Duty to warn, Restraints, HIPPA, Child and elder abuse reporting, Tort law, Negligence/malpractice. In the Walden library, locate a total of four scholarly, professional, or legal resources related to this topic.

By Day 3 of Week 2, briefly identify the topic you selected. Then, summarize the articles you selected, explaining the most salient ethical and legal issues related to the topic as they concern psychiatric-mental health practice for children/adolescents and for adults. Explain how this information could apply to your clinical practice, including specific implications for practice within your state.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses. By Day 6 of Week 2, respond to at least two of your colleagues on 2 different days by sharing cultural considerations that may impact the legal or ethical issues present in their articles.

Paper For Above Instructions

The ethical and legal foundations of psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) care are critical for ensuring that practitioners provide safe and effective care to individuals of all ages. For this discussion, the topic selected is "Informed consent," which holds significant ethical and legal implications in clinical practice. This paper will analyze four scholarly articles that provide insight into how informed consent processes are approached differently for adults and adolescents, including the ethical and legal issues that PMHNPs must navigate.

The first article, "Informed Consent in Psychiatric Practice" by Koocher and Keith-Spiegel (2016), discusses the ethical principles surrounding informed consent, emphasizing autonomy and beneficence. Koocher and Keith-Spiegel argue that obtaining informed consent is not merely a legal formality but rather a fundamental aspect of patient respect and ethical practice. They note the importance of ensuring patients understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives of proposed interventions, particularly in populations with diminished decision-making capacity, such as children and adolescents. The article underscores how PMHNPs must be particularly attuned to the ways children and adolescents comprehend information, as their capacity for informed consent often differs significantly from that of adults.

The second article, "Legal Aspects of Informed Consent in Mental Health Care" by McCarthy et al. (2018), shifts focus to the legal requirements surrounding informed consent. This resource details how various state laws govern the consent process, highlighting discrepancies in the legal capacity of minors versus adults. McCarthy et al. note that while adolescents may be capable of giving consent for certain treatments, legal frameworks often necessitate the involvement of parents or guardians. This nuances further complicate the PMHNP's responsibilities, as practitioners must ensure they navigate both legal and ethical standards in their practice.

The third article, "Informed Assent: The Importance of Parental Involvement in Pediatric Psychiatric Care" by McGough and Strang (2020), emphasizes the concept of informed assent when working with children. It suggests that while children may not possess full legal capacity to consent, they can provide assent to participate in their care with adequate understanding guided by their parents' involvement. This article provides valuable strategies for PMHNPs on how to communicate effectively with younger patients, ensuring their voices are heard while maintaining ethical and legal compliance.

The final resource, "Psychiatric Informed Consent: A Curriculum for Mental Health Practitioners" by Gold and Strouse (2021), presents a curriculum aimed at enhancing the understanding and application of informed consent across different age groups. The article discusses case studies where informed consent was either appropriately honored or neglected, leading to adverse patient outcomes. This examination offers critical lessons for PMHNP practice, reiterating the necessity of robust educational frameworks that comprehend both the cognitive development of children and the legal implications of their treatment.

Through these articles, several salient ethical and legal issues surrounding informed consent emerge. For adults, the emphasis remains on respecting autonomy and informed decision-making. Nevertheless, the complexities increase when working with children. The ethical imperative to protect minors necessitates a balance between autonomy and the responsibility guardians have in mental health decisions. PMHNPs must be equipped to assess not only legal compliance but also the developmental maturity of child patients, adapting their communication and involvement strategies accordingly.

Incorporating these findings into clinical practice requires PMHNPs to develop a nuanced approach to informed consent. In my state, where laws vary regarding the age of consent for medical treatment, it is crucial to stay informed and adaptable, understanding that legal obligations may dictate different practices with children compared to adults. This awareness allows for better service delivery and adherence to ethical standards within my practice.

Ultimately, effective PMHNPs must prioritize both ethical and legal considerations in their care provision. By critically analyzing such elements as informed consent across the lifespan, practitioners can better align their values and the rights of their patients with the legal frameworks that govern their practice.

References

• Koocher, G. P., & Keith-Spiegel, P. C. (2016). Informed consent in psychiatric practice. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 22(6), 465-472.
• McCarthy, A. M., Anderson, D. B., & Simmons, B. (2018). Legal aspects of informed consent in mental health care. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(5), 423-428.
• McGough, K. M., & Strang, R. (2020). Informed assent: The importance of parental involvement in pediatric psychiatric care. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 25(3), 155-161.
• Gold, S. M., & Strouse, J. (2021). Psychiatric informed consent: A curriculum for mental health practitioners. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 82(2), e12033.
• American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2020). APRN psychiatric-mental health nursing practice.
• American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and diagnostic formulation.
• American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
• Anderson, S. L. (2012). Practice parameter on gay, lesbian, or bisexual sexual orientation, gender nonconformity, and gender discordance in children and adolescents. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(9), 957-974.
• Hilt, R. J., & Nussbaum, A. M. (2016). DSM-5 pocket guide for child and adolescent mental health. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
• Thapar, A., Pine, D. S., Leckman, J. F., Scott, S., Snowling, M. J., & Taylor, E. A. (2015). Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry (6th ed.). Wiley Blackwell.