Ethics and Law for Australian Nurses

Every day, registered nurses are required to act and make decisions based on their moral and legal obligations. They must build professional, culturally safe relationships with patients, understand patient rights and the requirements of consent, and prevent and manage clinical mistakes in order to avoid negligence and abuse of power.

Now in its fifth edition, Ethics and Law for Australian Nurses guides students through foundational concepts such as personhood, autonomy, trust, consent and vulnerability, and considers a nurse's responsibilities in relation to voluntary assisted dying, abortions and advanced care directives. It explains the Australian legal system and how it relates to nursing practice.

This edition discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on elderly Australians, as well as on injury and negligence claims. It includes updated discussions on guardianship, assisted dying, abortion and 'not for resuscitation' orders.

About the Authors

Kim Atkins is Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tasmania, and Education Manager at Laurel House (the sexual assault support service for North and North West Tasmania). She became a registered nurse in 1985 and specialised in intensive care nursing for over twenty years. Kim also has extensive experience in health system management within the Tasmanian Department of Health. Kim completed a Ph.D. in philosophy and taught at Macquarie University. She went on to teach philosophy and ethics in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Nursing programs at the University of Wollongong and the University of Tasmania. She also runs workshops on values in the workplace, having difficult conversations, and trauma-informed practices. Kim is the author of Narrative Identity and Moral Identity: A Practical Perspective (2008), editor of Self and Subjectivity, and co-editor of Practical Identity and Narrative Agency.

Bernhard Ripperger has worked as a government lawyer in the NSW public sector for almost twenty-five years. He is currently the Director, Community Protection in the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. In addition to his qualifications in law, he has completed a Ph.D. in philosophy, and has taught philosophy at Macquarie University and the University of Wollongong.

Rebecca Ripperger has a BA (Honours) majoring in philosophy and has worked as a tutor and research assistant in moral and social philosophy at Macquarie University. She became a registered nurse in 1983 and worked in the NSW hospital system for over twenty years. She has worked in the NSW public service, currently in the Department of Communities and Justice, in the area of guardianship for over fifteen years. In line with her interest in promoting equity of access to the justice system, Rebecca developed and coordinated the 'Culture of Inclusion' training initiative, which showcases projects that support people with disabilities to engage actively and creatively in the world. She has recently worked for Laurel House Sexual Assault Support Service in Tasmania, developing resources for their disability project, including the development of their Decision Making Guide.