Abstract
The nursing profession in South Africa - Are nurses adequately informed about the law and their legal responsibilities when administering health care?
Highlights
Nursing is a vital part of the healthcare system and nurses[1] are described as the ‘heartbeat of healthcare.’[2]
The first part of the article seeks to establish what are the norms and standards that are employed by nurses in administering health care in other international jurisdictions, to assess whether this is comparable with the position in South Africa, the latter part analyses the existing regulations in South Africa
In order to translate a succinct approach to education and training on medical law and its relevant matters to enhance safe nursing practice, it is necessary that opportunities be created for in-service training, lectures, seminars, continuous professional development modules and workshops by medico-legal experts and medical expert witnesses
Summary
Nursing is a vital part of the healthcare system and nurses[1] are described as the ‘heartbeat of healthcare.’[2]. What is apparent is that the nurse’s role has changed significantly over the past two decades and includes wider specialisation, greater autonomy and more accountability.[3] Nurses pledge to take responsibility for the care they provide and to answer for their own decisions. They are expected to perform their actions in accordance with the requirements of the nursing professional bodies and the law. The thrust of the discussion here is to determine whether existing legislation and policies are adequate to provide nurses with the required knowledge to enable them to fully appreciate their role and responsibilities when administering health care to patients
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
