Sample Answer for NRNP 6665 Week 2 Ethical and Legal Foundations of PMHNP Care 

Codes of ethics and ethical principles play a key role in advanced nursing practice. Hence, there is a need for APNs to be conversant with the code of ethics since they offer a framework that guides the clinical decisions made in the care settings. One of the topics that has both ethical and legal implications for PMNHP practice is patient autonomy, which focuses on ensuring that patients have the right to make their own decisions regarding their medical treatment and care. Various research articles have been published regarding this topic. One of them is an article by Laacke et al.(2021). According to this study, it is important to respect patient’s autonomous decisions. Therefore, nurses and other healthcare professionals have an obligation to fulfill such. Another source is an article by Vicens et al. (2021); this article explores the capacity of a patient living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to make decisions regarding their health. The authors argue that such as poor understanding and training can limit patient autonomy. Comparatively, advocacy and having an interest in patient needs can improve autonomous decision-making.

The other source is an article by Ismail et al. (2021), which explores patient autonomy among patients with schizophrenia. According to this source, there is limited involvement of such patients in autonomous decisions. As such, there is a need for practitioners to involve them more. Calcedo-Barba et al. (2020) also found out that in some cases, patients experiencing various mental illnesses may have the ability to make autonomous decisions; as such, the professionals should encourage them to do so. The evidence obtained from these articles can be applied in my clinical practice. For example, appropriate strategies can be used to enhance patient autonomy and autonomous decisions for patients presenting with various mental health challenges. One of the implications for practice is the need to adhere to the state rules and laws regarding patient autonomy.

References

Calcedo-Barba, A., Fructuoso, A., Martinez-Raga, J., Paz, S., Sánchez de Carmona, M., & Vicens, E. (2020). A meta-review of literature reviews assessing the capacity of patients with severe mental disorders to make decisions about their healthcare. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02756-0