This thoroughly updated third edition lays a solid foundation for understanding the intersection of law, ethics and the rights of the patient in the context of everyday nursing and health care practice. Outlining the key legal and ethical principles relevant to nurses, Essential Law and Ethics In Nursing: Patients, Rights and Decision-Making, previously entitled Patients' Rights: Law and Ethics for Nurses, uses an easy-to-read style that conveys key principles in an accessible way. It: provides a clear understanding not only of basic legal provisions in health care but also of wider issues relating to human rights; covers topics such as ethical decision-making, the regulation of nursing, confidentiality, laws concerning human rights, safe practice, vulnerable people, elder abuse and employment regulations; and includes thinking points, case studies and relevant case law to help link theory with practice. This is essential reading for nurses and an important reference for midwives and allied health professionals.