Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

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Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment – Step-by-Step Guide

The first step before starting to write the Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment. 

It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.

How to Research and Prepare for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list. 

You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.

How to Write the Introduction for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.

How to Write the Body for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.

How to Write the In-text Citations for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:

The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.

How to Write the Conclusion for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.

How to Format the Reference List for Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment

The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication. 

Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:

References

Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456

Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.

Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment Instructions

The diagnosis of psychiatric emergencies can include a wide range of problems—from serious drug reactions to abuse and suicidal ideation/behaviors. Regardless of care setting, the PMHNP must know how to address emergencies, coordinate care with other members of the health care team and law enforcement officials (when indicated), and effectively communicate with family members who are often overwhelmed in emergency situations. In their role, PMHNPs can ensure a smooth transition from emergency mental health care to follow-up care, and also bridge the physical–mental health divide in healthcare.

In this week’s Assignment, you explore legal and ethical issues surrounding psychiatric emergencies, and identify evidence-based suicide and violence risk assessments. Have a look at NRNP 6675 Week 9 Discussion: Prescribing for Older Adults and Pregnant Women.

TO PREPARE

  • Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider the insights they provide about psychiatric emergencies and the ethical and legal issues surrounding these events.

THE ASSIGNMENT

In 2–3 pages, address the following:

  • Explain your state laws for involuntary psychiatric holds for child and adult psychiatric emergencies. Include who can hold a patient and for how long, who can release the emergency hold, and who can pick up the patient after a hold is released.
  • Explain the differences among emergency hospitalization for evaluation/psychiatric hold, inpatient commitment, and outpatient commitment in your state.
  • Explain the difference between capacity and competency in mental health contexts.
  • Select one of the following topics, and explain one legal issue and one ethical issue related to this topic that may apply within the context of treating psychiatric emergencies: patient autonomy, EMTALA, confidentiality, HIPAA privacy rule, HIPAA security rule, protected information, legal gun ownership, career obstacles (security clearances/background checks), and payer source.
  • Identify one evidence-based suicide risk assessment that you could use to screen patients.
  • Identify one evidence-based violence risk assessment that you could use to screen patients.

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 8

Submit your Assignment. Attach copies of or links to the suicide and violence risk assessments you selected.

Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment Example

California State Laws For Involuntary Psychiatric Hold

In California, individuals can be helped in psychiatric facilities without consent if it is determined that one is a danger to others, themselves, or gravely disabled. Under California law, only designated professional personnel can place individuals on a 72-hour hold, known as a 5150 hold (Zakhari, 2021). The experienced personnel includes police officers, members of the mobile crisis team, and other mental health professionals authorized by the country.

There must be paperwork stating the circumstances under which the person’s condition was called to the officers’ attention and the probable cause for believing the individual is a danger to themselves or others (Sadock et al., 2015). After 72 hours, individuals may be released. They may sign in as voluntary patients and can be put under the 14 days 5250 involuntary hold.

Differences Among Emergency Hospitalization For Psychiatric Hold, Inpatient Commitment, And Outpatient Commitment

In inpatient commitment, people are committed to mental illness and being a danger to themselves and others. These need to be presented to the magistrate in the community in the form of a petition (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019). It includes information from someone who has direct knowledge of the issue. Outpatient commitment is a civil commitment in which the court orders individuals to comply with specific outpatient treatment programs (Sadock et al., 2015). The legal authority for the outpatient commitment is the state parens patriae power, which protects disabled individuals, and police power, which involves protecting others (Buppert, 2021).

Differences between Capacity and Competency

Competence is the global assessment and legal determination of mental health status made by a judge in court (Zakhari, 2021). Capacity is determined by physicians familiar with the patient’s case based on the functional assessment and clinical determination.

Patient Autonomy in Psychiatric Emergencies

Informed consent is the process where clinicians honor the patient’s autonomy. Consequently, patients understand the benefits and risks of treatment and therefore accept or refuse the treatment (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019). The patient’s decision-making capacity should be assessed for communication, understanding, appreciation, and reasoning unless compelling additional concerns, and the patient’s confidentiality should be maintained (Thapar et al., 2015). In psychiatric emergencies, the physicians have the power to act as state agents.

Evidence-Based Suicide Risk Assessment and Violence Risk Assessment

The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) is the most commonly used screening tool for depression. It also covers suicidal ideation. Therefore, it is used to assess suicidal risk among patients in the clinical setting (Blakey et al., 2019). Item nine of the assessment tool evaluates the passive thoughts of death and self-injury in the last two weeks. The Broset violence checklist (BVC) is a short-term violence prediction instrument that assesses irritability, confusion, verbal threats, boisterousness, attacks on objects, and physical threats which are either absent or present.

The BVC is an effective tool for predicting inpatient violence in the coming 24 hours. The instrument’s psychometric characteristics are excellent (Blakey et al., 2019). The results of ongoing research will provide critical information on cultural differences, the BVC’s validity in understaffed wards, clinical usage of the checklist, and its capacity to predict violence throughout the hospital stay.

References

Blakey, S. M., Wagner, H. R., Naylor, J., Brancu, M., Lane, I., Sallee, M., & Elbogen, E. B. (2019). Chronic pain, TBI, and PTSD in military veterans: a link to suicidal ideation and violent impulses? The Journal of Pain, 19(7), 797-806.

Buppert, C. (2021). Nurse practitioner\’s business practice and legal guide (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Thapar, A., Pine, D. S., Leckman, J. F., Scott, S., Snowling, M. J., & Taylor, E. A. (Eds.). (2015). Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry (6th ed.). Wiley Blackwell.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2019). VA/DoD clinical practice guidelines: Assessment and management of patients at risk for suicide (2019). Accessed 4th April 2022 from https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/srb/

Zakhari, R. (2021). The psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner certification review manual. Springer Publishing Company.

Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies NRNP 6675 Week 8 Assignment Example 2

Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Psychiatric Emergencies

Several legal and ethical questions arise while responding to psychiatric emergencies in mental health. This paper explores some of the more complex areas of psychiatric care, including emergency hospitalization, competency, capacity, and patient confidentiality. In addition, it analyzes the most important suicide and violence risk assessment instruments used to recognize and control such threats in patients and others.

Arizona State Laws

Arizona laws state that an “admitting officer” is responsible for evaluating the physical and psychiatric condition of the person presented for admission to ascertain if there is a reasonable cause to render the person a danger to themselves or others. In this case, an admitting officer means a psychiatrist, physician, or mental health nurse practitioner with experience evaluating and admitting persons (LawServer, n.d.).

The laws make exceptions that if the above procedures are not present, a peace officer can take the person into custody if they have a probable reason to. Anyone taken into custody through an emergency admission should not be detained for more than 24 hours, without considering the holidays and weekends following admission, unless an evaluation is filed through a court directive (LawServer, n.d.). If the decision made by the medical director in charge of evaluation is appropriate, the person can be released. A guardian of the patient can pick them up after discharge.

Emergency hospitalization for evaluation/psychiatric hold, inpatient commitment, and outpatient commitment

Emergency hospitalization for evaluation/psychiatric refers to a circumstance in which an individual is taken against their will to a hospital due to a mental health crisis and poses an urgent danger to themselves or others. It is often a short-term measure, lasting fewer than 24 hours, during which mental health specialists assess the subject to decide whether additional intervention is required.

The formal legal process of inpatient commitment entails placing a person under the care of a mental health care provider for an extended length of time, usually for treatment, observation, or stabilization. To do this, a judge must issue an order and hold a hearing at which evidence of the person’s mental illness and risk to themselves or others can be presented. Outpatient commitment permits authorities to enforce mental health care for people who may not need emergency hospitalization but pose a risk to themselves or others. Mental health professionals will monitor one’s progress following a court-ordered treatment plan that may include frequent therapy sessions, medication, and supervision.

Capacity and Competency

When discussing a person’s mental health, “capacity” refers to their ability to make informed choices about their care, treatment options, and legal issues. The assessment evaluates the candidate’s ability to comprehend significant information, consider potential outcomes, and articulate decisions (King et al., 2022). “Competency,” on the other hand, is a legal term that establishes whether a person can stand trial or otherwise take part in a legal action (King et al., 2022). While capacity and competency refer to a person’s mental faculties, capacity is concerned with making decisions in a confined context, while competency is concerned with the person’s ability to understand and apply the law generally.

Confidentiality

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule, treating psychiatric emergencies raises a legal concern regarding confidentiality. To safeguard the patient’s and the public’s safety, healthcare providers must balance keeping a patient’s sensitive mental health information confidential and sharing it with relevant parties like family members or law the authorities (Bani Issa et al., 2020). Finding this balance can be challenging since oversharing or hiding key facts can negatively affect care and intervention.

The ethical issue surrounding confidentiality in psychiatric emergencies revolves around patient autonomy and trust. Promoting a therapeutic connection and protecting patient autonomy necessitates strict adherence to patient confidentiality. Clinicians face ethical dilemmas when deciding whether or not to break patient confidentiality to prevent imminent danger to the patient or others. When faced with a mental emergency, healthcare personnel must keep the patient’s trust while acting ethically in information disclosure concerns.

Suicide risk assessment tool: The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Tool

The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool is a quick and verified screening tool for kids and adults in medical settings. The Joint Commission has approved this quick and easy test that asks only four simple yes/no questions and takes about 20 seconds to complete. Healthcare providers can use the ASQ to better detect and evaluate patients at risk for suicide (National Institute of Mental Health, 2022). It is a vital resource for suicide prevention because of its reliability in identifying suicidal ideation in young people and adults receiving medical care.

Violence risk assessment tool: The Violence Assessment Tool

The Violence Assessment Tool is reliable in determining an individual’s potential for violent acts. It has widespread application in institutional settings like hospitals, psychiatric wards, and prisons. The tool uses a systematic assessment to identify warning signs that may indicate violent tendencies. To reduce the likelihood of adverse outcomes and increase the security of the individual and their surroundings, professionals can use the VAT to comprehend better and manage the risk of violence in individuals.

Conclusion

Maintaining patient rights while ensuring public safety is an extremely difficult way to navigate legal and ethical considerations in psychiatric emergencies. Professionals in the healthcare sector have an important duty to protect the confidentiality of patients while also providing effective, timely care. Improved mental health outcomes result from the use of trustworthy evaluation tools, which improve the capacity to recognize and treat those in need of care.

References

Bani Issa, W., Al Akour, I., Ibrahim, A., Almarzouqi, A., Abbas, S., Hisham, F., & Griffiths, J. (2020). Privacy, confidentiality, security, and patient safety concerns about electronic health records. International Nursing Review, 67(2), 218–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12585

LawServer. (n.d.). Arizona Laws > Title 36 > Chapter 5 > Article 4 – Court-Ordered Evaluation» LawServer. Retrieved July 19th, 2023, from https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/arizona/az-laws/arizona_laws_title_36_chapter_5_article_4

National Institute of Mental Health. (2022). Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit. Retrieved July 19th, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials

King, K. C., Martin Lee, L. M., & Goldstein, S. (2022). EMS Capacity and Competency. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.