Caring for the Dangerous Patient: Legal and Ethical Considerations

When assessing and treating patients who report that they are thinking about hurting themselves or others, nurse practitioners (NPs) must consider not just their codes of ethics but federal laws, state laws, cases in the different courts, and the guidelines set forth by credentialing boards and prof...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal for nurse practitioners 2013-10, Vol.9 (9), p.568-575
Main Authors: McMullen, Patricia C., Howie, Benjamin A., Howie, William O., Philipsen, Nayna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breaches
Caring
Confidentiality
Dangerous patients
duty to protect
Duty to warn
Firearm laws & regulations
Health care industry
mental health
nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioners
Nursing
threat of harm to self or others
Violence
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Summary:When assessing and treating patients who report that they are thinking about hurting themselves or others, nurse practitioners (NPs) must consider not just their codes of ethics but federal laws, state laws, cases in the different courts, and the guidelines set forth by credentialing boards and professional organizations, all of which impact the application of basic confidentiality. The purpose of this article is to help NPs deal with unusual situations that might require a breach of patient confidentiality and to address legal concerns and possible actions by state boards of nursing for breach of patient confidentiality. A list of 10 considerations for NPs facing such a challenge is included.
ISSN:1555-4155
1878-058X
DOI:10.1016/j.nurpra.2013.04.022