American Journal of Health Research

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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida

Received: 18 December 2014    Accepted: 19 December 2014    Published: 31 December 2014
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Abstract

It is universally acknowledged that nursing profession is guided by both ethic and legal principles as it is the tools for professional discipline which gives the nurse a broad idea of what is expected of her as she moves from the protective ambiance of school into the society. Social changes such as right to healthcare, increasing cost of healthcare and conflicting institutional policies create ethico-legal problems for the nurses. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study designed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. A total of 149 questionnaires were administered using simple random sampling technique. The main findings of this study established that the participating nurses possess considerably good knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law. Majority (82.6%) of the participants obtained knowledge about ethical dilemma mostly (36%) through seminar/workshops followed by those (31%) who knew about it right from their respective schools of training. Three factors of professional progression in this study; professional qualification (p=.015), years of experience (p=.000) and rank (p=.002) had noticeable effects on knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among the participants. Several options were identified by the participants as remedies to reduce the incidence of ethical and legal issues in their practice area. These include; periodic workshops, adherence to nursing code of ethics, utilization of hospital policy and personal development. Although participants differedon whether providers should adhere to patients' wish at all times,they possess good knowledge on nursing ethics and law. The overall results of the study suggested that there is need for nurses to understand the relationship and limitations between ethics, hospital policy and legal issues as they relate to nursing practice.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15
Published in American Journal of Health Research (Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Information Technology in Developing Nations: Challenges and Prospects Health Information Technology

Page(s) 32-37
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Beneficence, Confidentiality, Dilemma, Nursing Code of Ethics, Nurse’s Ordinance, Nursing Practice Act, Ethico-Legal Issues in Nursing, Patient Safety

References
[1] E. I. Nwona, O.C Nwana, K. S. Olubiyi, NSS320: Nursing Ethics and Jurisprudence, Lagos. National Open University of Nigeria press; pp i-ii, 18-19, 22, 34, 69-70,111-116, 120
[2] J. A. Adewoyin. The Nurse and the Rule of law Abeokuta, Davis Igwe Consulting, 2004
[3] C. Chaloner. An introduction to ethics in nursing, nursing standard. 2007;21(32):42-46
[4] A. Cherie, A. H. Mekonen, T. Shimelse, Introduction to Professional Nursing and Ethics, Addis Ababa University press Ethiopia, 2006; pp i,67-72,81-82,106-108,110-111,123.
[5] M. O. Oyetunde, B. A. Ofi. Nurses knowledge of legal aspects of nursing practice in Ibadan Nigeria. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice.2013;3(9): 75-82203-8.
[6] S. Searle. Professional practice. A Southern African Nursing Perspective 4th Ed. 2000 Pinetown: Butterworth.
[7] K. M. Lowrey. Legal and ethical issues in cancer genetics nursing.SeminOncolNurs. 2004;20(3):203-8.
[8] M. L. Matzo, D. W. Sherman,P. Nelson-Marten, A. Rhome, M. Grant. Ethical and legal issues in end-of-life care: content of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium curriculum and teaching strategies.J Nurses Staff Dev. 2004 Mar-Apr; 20(2): 59-66. PMid:15071336 http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00124645-200403000-00001
[9] Y. Teytelman. Effective nursing documentation and communication.SeminOncolNurs. 2002;18(2):121-7. PMID:12051163 http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/sonu.2002.32509.
[10] M.T. Adekilekun, Medical ethics in the face of emerging medico-legal issues in Nigeria. Department of Business Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. 2010; pp 5, 8.
[11] I. I. Akpabio. Ethical issue and nursing strategies for achieving professional standards in nursing education. Continental J. Nursing Science. 2011;3(1):7-15.
[12] I. T. Adeleke, A. O. Adekanye, S. A. Adefemi, et al, Knowledge, attitude and practice of confidentiality of patients’ health records among healthcare professionals at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. Niger J Med. 2011;20(2):228-235.
[13] Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. Newsletter 4th Ed. 2001Vol 2 Oct.
[14] A. J. Dorse, E.L. Stellenberg. Legal and ethical aspects of nursing practice in selected private hospitals in the Western Cape metropolitan area Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch University press, 2008; pp iv,50-51.
Author Information
  • Department of Nursing Services, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria,Nigeria

  • Department of Health Information, Federal Medical Centre, Bida,Nigeria; Centre for Health & Allied Researches, Bida, Nigeria; Health Informatics Research Initiatives in Nigeria, Bida, Nigeria

  • Department of Nursing Services, Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Nigeria

  • Department of Nursing Services, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria,Nigeria

  • Niger State College of Nursing Sciences, Bida, Nigeria

  • School of Nursing and Midwifery, Gusau, Nigeria

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  • APA Style

    Danjuma Aliyu, Ibrahim Taiwo Adeleke, Sunday Oluwafemi Omoniyi, Balarabe Ayuba Samaila, Aliyu Adamu, et al. (2014). Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. American Journal of Health Research, 3(1-1), 32-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15

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    ACS Style

    Danjuma Aliyu; Ibrahim Taiwo Adeleke; Sunday Oluwafemi Omoniyi; Balarabe Ayuba Samaila; Aliyu Adamu, et al. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. Am. J. Health Res. 2014, 3(1-1), 32-37. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15

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    AMA Style

    Danjuma Aliyu, Ibrahim Taiwo Adeleke, Sunday Oluwafemi Omoniyi, Balarabe Ayuba Samaila, Aliyu Adamu, et al. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. Am J Health Res. 2014;3(1-1):32-37. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15,
      author = {Danjuma Aliyu and Ibrahim Taiwo Adeleke and Sunday Oluwafemi Omoniyi and Balarabe Ayuba Samaila and Aliyu Adamu and Aisha Yahaya Abubakar},
      title = {Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida},
      journal = {American Journal of Health Research},
      volume = {3},
      number = {1-1},
      pages = {32-37},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15},
      abstract = {It is universally acknowledged that nursing profession is guided by both ethic and legal principles as it is the tools for professional discipline which gives the nurse a broad idea of what is expected of her as she moves from the protective ambiance of school into the society. Social changes such as right to healthcare, increasing cost of healthcare and conflicting institutional policies create ethico-legal problems for the nurses. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study designed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. A total of 149 questionnaires were administered using simple random sampling technique. The main findings of this study established that the participating nurses possess considerably good knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law. Majority (82.6%) of the participants obtained knowledge about ethical dilemma mostly (36%) through seminar/workshops followed by those (31%) who knew about it right from their respective schools of training. Three factors of professional progression in this study; professional qualification (p=.015), years of experience (p=.000) and rank (p=.002) had noticeable effects on knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among the participants. Several options were identified by the participants as remedies to reduce the incidence of ethical and legal issues in their practice area. These include; periodic workshops, adherence to nursing code of ethics, utilization of hospital policy and personal development. Although participants differedon whether providers should adhere to patients' wish at all times,they possess good knowledge on nursing ethics and law. The overall results of the study suggested that there is need for nurses to understand the relationship and limitations between ethics, hospital policy and legal issues as they relate to nursing practice.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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    T1  - Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Ethics and Law among Nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida
    AU  - Danjuma Aliyu
    AU  - Ibrahim Taiwo Adeleke
    AU  - Sunday Oluwafemi Omoniyi
    AU  - Balarabe Ayuba Samaila
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    JF  - American Journal of Health Research
    JO  - American Journal of Health Research
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    EP  - 37
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8796
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.s.2015030101.15
    AB  - It is universally acknowledged that nursing profession is guided by both ethic and legal principles as it is the tools for professional discipline which gives the nurse a broad idea of what is expected of her as she moves from the protective ambiance of school into the society. Social changes such as right to healthcare, increasing cost of healthcare and conflicting institutional policies create ethico-legal problems for the nurses. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study designed to determine knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among nurses at Federal Medical Centre, Bida. A total of 149 questionnaires were administered using simple random sampling technique. The main findings of this study established that the participating nurses possess considerably good knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law. Majority (82.6%) of the participants obtained knowledge about ethical dilemma mostly (36%) through seminar/workshops followed by those (31%) who knew about it right from their respective schools of training. Three factors of professional progression in this study; professional qualification (p=.015), years of experience (p=.000) and rank (p=.002) had noticeable effects on knowledge, attitude and practice of nursing ethics and law among the participants. Several options were identified by the participants as remedies to reduce the incidence of ethical and legal issues in their practice area. These include; periodic workshops, adherence to nursing code of ethics, utilization of hospital policy and personal development. Although participants differedon whether providers should adhere to patients' wish at all times,they possess good knowledge on nursing ethics and law. The overall results of the study suggested that there is need for nurses to understand the relationship and limitations between ethics, hospital policy and legal issues as they relate to nursing practice.
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