Dimond's Legal Aspects of Nursing

Part I General principles affecting all nurses

1. Introduction: professionalism, the legal system and human rights
2. Actions in the criminal courts and defences to criminal charge
3. Liability in a civil court case for negligence
4. Specific problem areas in civil liability: personal liability of the nurse, vicarious liability of the employer and managerial issues
5. Statutory functions and management of the NHS
6. Progress of a civil claim: defences and compensation
7. Consent to treatment and informing the patient
8. Data protection: confidentiality and access
9. Record keeping, statements and evidence in court
10. The nurse and employment law
11. The nurse as a registered professional
12. Health and safety and the nurse

Part II Specialist areas

• Children and young persons
• The nurse and gynaecology
• Acute care
• Learning disabilities and safeguarding people
• Nurse educator and researcher
• Legal aspects of the care of older people
• Nursing people with mental health problems or learning disability
• Accident and emergency, outpatients, genito-urinary departments and day surgery
• Human fertility and genetics
• Community and primary care nursing
• Scope of professional practice, clinical nurse specialist and consultant nurse

Part III General areas

• Legal aspects of property
• Legal aspects of public health
• Handling complaints
• Legal aspects of medicines
• End-of-life care and death
• Complementary and alternative therapies
• The future