NR 730 Week 5 The Ethical and Legal Aspects of Practice Change

NR 730 Week 5 The Ethical and Legal Aspects of Practice Change

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-730: DNP Project

Prof. Name:

Date

The Ethical and Legal Aspects of Practice Change Discussion

Purpose

The objective of this discussion is to explore the ethical and legal responsibilities of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared nurse during the process of implementing practice change. Advanced practice nurses must not only integrate evidence-based strategies into clinical settings but also safeguard the rights, well-being, and trust of all individuals involved. Ethical reflection is crucial for ensuring that proposed practice changes align with professional standards, regulatory frameworks, and patient-centered care principles.

Instructions

Reflecting on this week’s readings and professional frameworks, the following questions are addressed:

1. Identify the participants of your proposed DNP practice change project as stated in your PICOT question.

The participants for the proposed DNP practice change project are primarily adult patients with chronic conditions, specifically those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This group was selected because the practice change initiative focuses on improving glycemic control through an integrated lifestyle modification and digital health monitoring program. Additional participants include primary care nurses, nurse practitioners, and interdisciplinary team members, who will play a supportive role in implementing and monitoring the intervention.

2. Examine the benefits and risks for the participants of your DNP practice change project.

The practice change project offers multiple advantages, but it also entails certain risks. A comparison is outlined below:

This balance highlights the need for structured safeguards to maximize benefits while minimizing harm.

3. Detail the measures you will take to protect their human rights.

Protecting the rights of participants is a foundational responsibility of a DNP-prepared nurse. Several steps will be taken to ensure ethical compliance:

• Informed Consent: Participants will receive detailed information about the intervention, risks, and expected outcomes before enrollment. Consent will be documented in writing.

• Confidentiality: Patient data will be safeguarded using secure, HIPAA-compliant platforms to prevent unauthorized access.

• Voluntary Participation: Individuals will be informed that participation is voluntary, with the right to withdraw at any stage without penalty.

• Equitable Access: Efforts will be made to provide resources, such as loaner devices or digital literacy support, to participants lacking access to technology.

• Risk Mitigation: Continuous monitoring will be employed to identify and address any adverse outcomes promptly.

• Respect for Autonomy: Patients will be encouraged to make independent decisions about their care, supported by clear communication and transparency.

Program Competencies

This discussion aligns with several DNP program competencies, including:

1. Integrating scientific foundations into clinical practice (POs 3, 5).

2. Applying organizational and leadership skills to foster systemic change and improve outcomes (PO 6).

3. Using analytic approaches to translate evidence into clinical scholarship for innovative practice (POs 3, 5).

4. Appraising and applying health technologies to enhance care delivery (POs 6, 7).

5. Analyzing policies to advocate for equitable healthcare and social justice (POs 2, 9).

6. Fostering collaborative cultures that advance disease prevention and promote population health (PO 8).

7. Leading with professional identity, resilience, and systems thinking in clinical decision-making (POs 1, 4).

Course Outcomes

Through this discussion, students achieve the following outcomes:

1. Prioritize and apply ethical frameworks and theories relevant to translational science (PCs 1, 3, 8; POs 3, 4, 5).

2. Utilize clinical scholarship strategies to design, implement, and evaluate quality improvements that enhance healthcare outcomes across micro, meso, and macro levels (PCs 1, 3, 5; POs 3, 5, 9).

References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. ANA.

Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.

NR 730 Week 5 The Ethical and Legal Aspects of Practice Change

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2023). Health Information Privacy (HIPAA). https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa