Nursing Law and Communication
Nursing Law and Communication tests legal accountability, safe documentation, statutory Acts and therapeutic communication skills.
Core rules
- The Indian Nursing Council Act 1947 governs registration and recognised qualifications; each State Nursing Council maintains the live register, and practising without registration is an offence.
- Negligence requires duty, breach of duty, causation and damage. Res ipsa loquitur may apply where the facts speak for themselves, such as a retained swab after surgery.
- Documentation must be factual, timed, signed and contemporaneous; records must never be altered retrospectively.
- Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 colour coding: yellow for human anatomical waste, soiled waste and expired medicines; red for contaminated recyclable plastic; white for sharps and needles; blue for glassware and metallic implants.
- Statutory Acts to know: MTP Act 1971, PNDT Act 1994, Clinical Establishments Act 2010, Consumer Protection Act.
- Communication: SBAR for handover - Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation. Use open questions, active listening and empathy; avoid jargon and false reassurance.
Worked example
Handover: “Situation - bed 12, Mrs X, 40 years, sudden breathlessness for 20 minutes. Background - post-operative day 2, known asthma. Assessment - respiratory rate 32, SpO₂ 88% on room air, bilateral wheeze. Recommendation - please review now; I need oxygen and nebuliser orders.” Reasoning: each element delivers the facts in the order the receiving doctor needs them to decide, replacing a rambling narrative that delays treatment.
Traps that cost marks
- Amending notes after an incident instead of writing a factual addendum.
- Using only closed questions, which shuts down the patient's account.
- Putting sharps into the red bag instead of the white puncture-proof container.