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(https://waldenu.instructure.com/courses/69491/modules/items/2083418)

ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRESCRIBING

DRUGS
(https://cdn-media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/Walden/Canvas/Getty/OrigImage-
LgRendition/GettyLicense_559537845.jpg)

What type of drug should you prescribe based on your patient’s diagnosis?
How much of the drug should the patient receive? How often should the drug
be administered? When should the drug not be prescribed? Are there
individual patient factors that could create complications when taking the
drug? Should you be prescribing drugs to this patient? How might different
state regulations affect the prescribing of this drug to this patient?

These are some of the questions you might consider when selecting a
treatment plan for a patient.

As an advanced practice nurse prescribing drugs, you are held accountable for people’s lives every day. Patients and their
families will often place trust in you because of your position. With this trust comes power and responsibility, as well as an
ethical and legal obligation to “do no harm.” It is important that you are aware of current professional, legal, and ethical
standards for advanced practice nurses with prescriptive authority. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the treatment
plans and administration/prescribing of drugs is in accordance with the regulations of the state in which you practice.
Understanding how these regulations may affect the prescribing of certain drugs in different states may have a significant
impact on your patient’s treatment plan. In this Assignment, you explore ethical and legal implications of scenarios and
consider how to appropriately respond.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES (https://waldenu.instructure.com/courses/69491/modules/items/2083436)

To Prepare:
 Review the Resources for this module and consider the legal and ethical implications of prescribing prescription
drugs, disclosure, and nondisclosure.
Review the scenario assigned by your Instructor for this Assignment.
Search specific laws and standards for prescribing prescription drugs and for addressing medication errors for your
state or region, and reflect on these as you review the scenario assigned by your Instructor.
Consider the ethical and legal implications of the scenario for all stakeholders involved, such as the prescriber,
pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family.
Think about two strategies that you, as an advanced practice nurse, would use to guide your ethically and legally
responsible decision-making in this scenario, including whether you would disclose any medication errors.

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 1
Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

Explain the ethical and legal implications of the scenario you selected on all stakeholders involved, such as the
prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family.
Describe strategies to address disclosure and nondisclosure as identified in the scenario you selected. Be sure to
reference laws specific to your state.
Explain two strategies that you, as an advanced practice nurse, would use to guide your decision making in this
scenario, including whether you would disclose your error. Be sure to justify your explanation. 
Explain the process of writing prescriptions, including strategies to minimize medication errors.

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction,
summary, and references. The College of Nursing Writing Template with Instructions provided at the
Walden Writing Center offers an example of those required elements (available at
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632
(https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632) ). All papers
submitted must use this formatting.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION
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1. To submit your completed assignment, save your Assignment as WK1Assgn2_LastName_Firstinitial

2. Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page.
3. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.

NURS_6521_Week1_Assignment_Rubric
 Criteria Ratings Pts

Explain the ethical and 25 to >22.25 pts 22.25 to >19.75 pts 19.75 to >17.25 pts 17.25 to >0 pts
legal implications of the Excellent Good Fair Poor
scenario you selected
The response The response explains The response inaccurately The response vaguely
on all stakeholders
accurately and the ethical and legal or vaguely explains the and inaccurately
involved such as the
thoroughly explains in implications of the ethical and legal explains the ethical
prescriber, pharmacist,
detail the ethical and scenario selected on all implications of the and legal implications
patient, and the
legal implications of the stakeholders involved. ... scenario selected for all of the scenario
patient's family.
scenario selected on all The response includes stakeholders involved. ... selected for all
stakeholders involved. accurate explanations as The response includes stakeholders involved,
... The response to how these implications vague explanations as to or the response is
includes accurate, clear, affect the prescriber, how these implications missing. ... The
25 pts
and detailed pharmacist, patient, and affect the prescriber, response vaguely and
explanations as to how the patient's family. pharmacist, patient, and inaccurately explains
these implications affect the patient's family. how these implications
the prescriber, affect the prescriber,
pharmacist, patient, and pharmacist, patient,
the patient's family. and the patient's family,
or is missing.

Describe strategies to 20 to >17.8 pts 17.8 to >15.8 pts 15.8 to >13.8 pts 13.8 to >0 pts
address disclosure and Excellent Good Fair Poor
nondisclosure as
An accurate, detailed, An accurate description A vague or inaccurate A vague and inaccurate
identified in the
and clear description of of strategies to address description of strategies description of strategies
scenario selected. Be
strategies to address disclosure and to address disclosure and to address disclosure
sure to reference laws
disclosure and nondisclosure as nondisclosure as and nondisclosure as
specific to your state.
nondisclosure as identified in the scenario identified in the scenario identified in the scenario
identified in the scenario selected is provided. ... selected is provided. ... selected is provided, or
selected is provided. ... The response includes The response includes is missing. ... The
The response includes accurate reference to inaccurate or vague response includes 20 pts
specific, detailed, and state laws related to the reference to state laws vague and inaccurate
accurate reference to scenario. related to the scenario. reference to state laws
state laws related to the related to the scenario,
scenario. or is missing.

Explain two strategies 20 to >17.8 pts 17.8 to >15.8 pts 15.8 to >13.8 pts 13.8 to >0 pts 20 pts
that you, as an Excellent Good Fair Poor
advanced practice
The response accurately The response accurately The response inaccurately The response
nurse would use to
and thoroughly explains explains at least two or vaguely explains at least inaccurately and
guide your decision
in detail at least two strategies that an two strategies that an vaguely explains only
making in this scenario,
strategies that an advanced practice nurse advanced practice nurse one strategy that an
including whether you
advanced practice nurse would use to guide would use to guide advanced practice
would disclose your
would use to guide decision making in the decision making in the nurse would use to
error. Be sure to justify
decision making in the scenario. ... The scenario, or only explains guide decision making
your explanation.
scenario. ... The response accurately one strategy. ... The in the scenario, or is
response accurately and explains whether they response inaccurately or missing. ... The
completely explains would disclose the error, vaguely explains whether response inaccurately
whether they would including an accurate they would disclose the and vaguely explains
 Criteria
disclose the error,
including an accurate,
detailed, and clear
justification for the
explanation provided.
Ratings Pts
justification for the error, including a whether they would
explanation provided. justification that is vague, disclose the error, with
inaccurate, or misaligned to no justification
the explanation provided. provided, or is
missing.

Explain the process of 20 to >17.8 pts 17.8 to >15.8 pts 15.8 to >13.8 pts 13.8 to >0 pts
writing prescriptions Excellent Good Fair Poor
including strategies to
The response provides The response provides The response provides an The response provides
minimize medication
an accurate, detailed, an accurate explanation inaccurate or vague an inaccurate and
errors.
and thorough of the process of writing explanation of the process vague explanation of
explanation of the prescriptions, including of writing prescriptions, the process of writing
process of writing some strategies to including inaccurate or prescriptions, including
20 pts
prescriptions, including minimize medication vague strategies to inaccurate and vague
detailed strategies to errors. minimize medication strategies to minimize
minimize medication errors. medication errors, or is
errors. missing.

Written Expression and 5 to >4.45 pts 4.45 to >3.95 pts 3.95 to >3.45 pts 3.45 to >0 pts
Formatting - Paragraph Excellent Good Fair Poor
Development and
Paragraphs and Paragraphs and Paragraphs and sentences Paragraphs and
Organization:
sentences follow sentences follow writing follow writing standards for sentences follow writing
Paragraphs make clear
writing standards for standards for flow, flow, continuity, and clarity standards for flow,
points that support well
flow, continuity, and continuity, and clarity 80% 60%–79% of the time. continuity, and clarity
developed ideas, flow
clarity. of the time. less than 60% of the
logically, and
time.
demonstrate continuity
of ideas. Sentences are 5 pts
carefully focused--
neither long and
rambling nor short and
lacking substance.

Written Expression and 5 to >4.45 pts 4.45 to >3.95 pts 3.95 to >3.45 pts 3.45 to >0 pts
Formatting - English Excellent Good Fair Poor
writing standards:
Uses correct Contains a few (1–2) Contains several (3–4) Contains many (≥ 5)
Correct grammar,
grammar, spelling, grammar, spelling, and grammar, spelling, and grammar, spelling, and
mechanics, and proper 5 pts
and punctuation with punctuation errors punctuation errors punctuation errors that
punctuation
no errors interfere with the reader’s
understanding

Written Expression and 5 to >4.45 pts 4.45 to >3.95 pts 3.95 to >3.45 pts 3.45 to >0 pts 5 pts
Formatting - The paper Excellent Good Fair Poor
follows correct APA
Uses correct APA Contains a few (1–2) APA Contains several (3–4) Contains many (≥ 5)
format for title page,
format with no errors format errors APA format errors APA format errors
headings, font,
 Criteria Ratings Pts
spacing, margins,
indentations, page
numbers, running head,
parenthetical/in-text
citations, and reference
list.

Total Points: 100