Knowledge Of Ethico-legal Aspects Of Nursing Practice

Among Nurses And Midwives

In Enugu State University Of Science Of Technology Teaching
Hospital Parklane, Enugu

Ilo Ijeoma Judith, Chime Thelma Ukamaka, Ndubuka Cordilia

Chinyeremada, Okolie Uchenna Virginia, & Ehiemere Ijeoma Onyekachi

College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Ituku-Ozalla Campus Directorate of

Research and Publications Scientific Conference,
13th -14th March 2024 at CBN centre of Excellence Auditorium, University of Nigeria
Enugu Campus, Enugu
 Introduction

 Background: Recent increase in ethical and legal problems

associated with client care have necessitated the need for nurses
to have basic understanding of legal concepts.
 Objective: To assess the knowledge of ethico-legal aspects of
nursing practice and its implications among nurses in Enugu
State University Of Science Of Technology (ESUT) Teaching
Hospital, Enugu.
 Findings: While a good percentage of the nurses had a
knowledge of ethico-legal issues and implications in nursing
practice, they lacked the knowledge of the ethical theories
Outline on Methods
Study Population
 206 participants were
recruited for the study.
 The sample size was 197.
Sampling Method
 simple random sampling
was used.
 Research design was
descriptive survey
 The instrument for data
collection was self-
administered questionnaire
Analysis
 Data was analysed using
descriptive statistics –
frequency and percentage.
 These analyses were done
with the aid of the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 25 and
Microsoft Excel.
 Results
Table 1: Knowledge of Nursing Ethics

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

What is nursing ethics? Fairness and equal distribution of benefits and burdens is referred to as?
*Expected standard of moral behaviour among nurses during practice 126 64.0
Defamation 8 4.1
Obligations nurses are expected to fulfil during practice 36 18.3 *Justice 187 94.9
Slander 2 1.0
Ability of nurses to care for their patients very well 7 3.6 Giving patient sufficient information before any treatment is carried out is _____
principle?
Nurses rules and regulations 30 15.2
The two ethical theories guiding nursing profession are? Truth telling 5 2.5
Autonomy and Beneficence 110 55.8 Fidelity 16 8.1
Justice and fidelity 53 26.9 Veracity 18 9.1
*Deontology and Utilitarianism 28 14.2 *Informed consent 158 80.2
Teleology and Non-maleficence 30 4.06 Overall knowledge of nursing ethics
The right a patient has to make self-determination choices is known as? Good (knowledge score > 50%) 163 82.7
Poor (knowledge score ≤ 50%) 34 17.3
Beneficence 26 13.2 Source of knowledge
Non-maleficence 7 3.6 During training programme in school 172 87.3
*Autonomy 160 81.2 Seminars/Workshops 30 15.2
Fidelity 3 1.5 Friends/professional colleagues 6 3.1
No response 1 0.5 * indicates correct answer to the item question
 Results
Table 2: Knowledge of Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice

Frequency Percent Frequency Percent

What are Tort Laws
*Civil wrongs committed against a person or person's property 85 43.1 Publications or spoken works which tends to lower person’s integrity or
expose them to hatred is known as?
Laws that guard people who are disobedient 31 15.7 Lie 12 6.1
*Defamation 126 64.0
Laws guiding a nations 35 17.8
Misjudgement 27 13.7
Neglecting to do what one supposed to do 46 23.4
Stereotype 32 16.2
When a patient falls from a bed and sustains injury, the nurse can be No response
charged for? A nurse that administers an additional or lethal dose of a narcotic drug that
Malpractice 5 2.5 leads to death can be accused of
Slander 3 1.5 Negligence 47 23.9
Assault 6 3.0 *Negligent homicide 96 48.7
*Negligence 183 92.9 Misdemeanour 53 26.9
When a nurse uses unsterile instruments for sterile procedures, this is No response 1 0.5
known as what? When a nurse discloses a client medical information without the client’s
consent, which principle has the nurse broken?
Battery 10 5.1
Defamation 12 6.1
Non-maleficence 4 2.0
*Malpractice 173 87.8 *Confidentiality 185 93.9
Assault 2 1.0 Veracity 4 2.0
Under tort law, forcefully giving a sane patient an injection without Autonomy 2 1.0
consent is known as what? No response 2 1.0
Force 35 17.8 Overall knowledge of legal aspect of nursing practice
Good (knowledge score > 50%)
*Battery 94 47.7 159 80.7
Slander 11 5.6 Poor (knowledge score ≤ 50%)
38 19.3
Assault 57 28.9
* indicates correct answer to the item question
Results
Table 3: Knowledge of Implications of not Abiding to the Ethico-Legal aspects of
Nursing Practice

Frequency Percent
Revoking of license if found guilty of any offence to legal aspect of nursing 188 95.4
practice
If a nurse provides a substandard care during practice, she will be found liable to 181 91.9
litigation
The nurse can be demoted if found guilty 171 86.8
Gross negligence can lead to death of a patient 187 94.9
Breaching of the confidentiality principles can lead to lack of trust 189 95.9
Health institutions can be closed down because of nurses attitudes 126 64.0
There will be decrease patronage of the health care facility 179 90.9
Lack of respect and therapeutic rapport between nurses and patients 181 91.9
The nurse could be imprisoned 174 88.3
Lack of satisfaction in the nursing care provided 176 89.3
Prolonged hospital stay for the patient 167 84.8
The nurse can pay for damages 178 90.4
The nurses salary can be stopped 175 88.8
The nurse can lose her job if found liable to any of these offences 190 96.4
Overall knowledge of implication of not abiding to ethico-legal aspects of
nursing practice
Good (knowledge score > 50%) 188 95.4
Poor (knowledge score ≤ 50%) 9 4.6
* indicates correct answer to the item question
 Discussion
Knowledge about ethics in nursing
practice
 Results revealed that majority of the nurses
and midwives (82.7%) in ESUT Teaching
Hospital Parklane Enugu had good knowledge
of ethics in nursing practice.
 It is in congruence with the study carried out
by Danjuma et. al (2014) in Bida and by Sari
et. al. (2021) in Lalitpur.
 However, findings disagree with a study
carried out by Osingada et.al (2015) in Uganda
Knowledge about legal aspects of
nursing practice
 Findings from this study showed that most of
the nurses and midwives (80.7%) had good
knowledge of the legal aspects.
 This is in agreement with the study conducted
by Sari et. al. (2021) in Lalitpur.
 However, it is in disagreement with the study
carried out by Supriya (2014) in Kerala, by
Kumar et. al. (2013) and Ibrahim and Hussein
(2016).
 Discussion
Knowledge about the Implications of
contravening ethico-legal aspects of nursing
practice
 Findings from this study revealed that
majority of the research population (95.4%)
had very good knowledge of this area.
 This agrees with the study conducted by
Ashrinka and Ramasanmy (2013).
Recommendation
 Even though Nigerian nurses have close to
zero percentage of litigation, this does mean
they cannot be sued.
 It is recommended that seminars and
workshops should be organised for nurses on
areas of deficiencies.
References

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http://www.nursingworld.org
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Cady R. F. (2021) Criminal Prosecution for Nursing errors: Lippincott Nursing Center
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THANK YOU