A lot of law goes into medicine, and with good reason. Nurses and doctors are basically responsible for keeping people healthy, and sometimes tinkering with their bodies. This means medicine, regulating body temperature, manipulating nutrition, and in the most extreme case, surgery. The government regulates these things tightly for our health. Although most nurses do not have to worry about issues as fickle as heart surgery, some actually do, and many nurses are in transit to becoming doctors. A recent article by the Wall Street Journal involves an investigation into defibrillators. It is something to read if you are attending one of the many nurse practitioner programs.
External heart defibrillators are used to restart the heart in the event of an arrest or malfunction. Defibrillators can also be implanted surgically if a patient it at risk of sudden death or other heart trouble. These are known as ICDs, and due to the surgical nature are much more tightly controlled. After a medical article suggested that millions of ICDs are implanted every year outside of medical procedure, the Department of Justice has launches a probe to see if it is true, and hunt down unscrupulous doctors. The fact the investigation was underway was revealed by the independent Heart Rhythm Society, which is composed of cardiologists.
The Heart Rhythm Society reports they are unable to identify suspects, and have not given or read any data regarding specific persons or hospitals. Rather they were providing “insight into the field of electrophysiology to the DOJ.” (Department of Justice). The article mentioned that the investigation could put pressure on the manufacturers of implant defibrillators, which includes Medtronic Inc., St. Jude Medical Institute, and the Boston Scientific group. The market for the device exceeds four billion dollars. The implication, then, is that these companies are somehow pressuring doctors to market their product. Medicine is not something to be commercialized; unneeded surgeries are risky. On the other hand, there is the possibility that these implants were precautionary, in which case the law must decide.
At the very least, these things prove a student must be keenly aware of all the legal issues behind a therapy. A mistake could spell a conversation about malpractice with a judge. For a thoroughly integrated education, preparing you for tomorrow’s legal challenges, consider these nurse practitioner schools.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I actually find that the legal aspects are one of the more challenging parts of being in this profession, thankfully, these cases are sometimes covered in our classes. Am so glad to be in one of the best nurse practitioner schools in the country!
I think that nurse practitioner schools should be responsible for giving their students an awareness of the laws, both existing and already in force and those that are still being discussed. They should not stop at just health care-related education, but also management and legal education as well.
I was well surprised that my sister was reading up on legal matters while pursuing her nurse practitioner degree online. I think that being aware of the laws, whether it’s Federal or state law, really helps nurses to know their bounds and act accordingly. It would also equip them with the knowledge to know that something is wrong so that they can duly report a doctor or other nurses who carry it out.
Being entrusted with human life and health is a very big responsibility, so I really agree with you that it’s not enough to just focus on health issues when you are enrolled in nurse practitioner programs. Legal issues matter too, especially in this area where accountability is a prime consideration.
I’ve checked your link on the different nurse practitioner programs and schools that are available, and I must say it really helps us in deciding which specialization to go into and the best schools that offer these specializations. Thank you for making our lives easier!