As a Nursing care professional, being able to provide professional care in your scope of practice means to being able to provide the highest standards of care, competently and within the standards of practice while avoiding harm to the patient. There are several ways a nurse or health care professional can cause accidental harm without intention, however knowing the differences between what can constitute as a malpractice infracture can help nurses in their daily duties.
As a health care institution, a hospital may be liable for their employees infractions and may even lead them to costly consequences. Malpractice in nursing can happen when a nurse fails to perform their basic duties competently and in causation harms the patient. There are …show more content…
These actions may be in the nurses’ line of duty and may fall in the obligations of administering medication or calling for further assistance. Because nurses are at the front line and in contact with patients, being able to follow procedures during events is required. Another way a nurse may be held liable is if a nurse injures a patient with equipment. By avoiding hazards like equipment falling onto the patient, burns or other types of hazards like leaving a sponge in the body of a patient during the course of surgery, can also be grounds for medical malpractice. One of the key functions of patient care that happens on a daily basis can also be the administration of medication to the patient. Often this duty can subject the nurses or any other health care practitioner at risk for malpractice if harm is done to the patient by administering the wrong drug, the wrong dosage, wrong patient and even improper injection of the medication into the proper areas such as injecting meds in the wrong area, hitting muscle instead of vein, or hitting a nerve (NOLO Law for All, …show more content…
East Jefferson General Hospital 747 So.2d 104 LA (1999) a nurse was charged with negligence in an Acute Care setting because of injury to a patient when the nurse needed three attempts at successfully inserting an intravenous catheter. In this case, the female patient was admitted to the Emergency Department after complaints of abdominal pain and the orders from the doctor were to start treatment, which included a intravenous line for medication. A nurse was assigned and an Intravenous Catheter was placed, but with much difficulty because of the patient’s veins and unable to stick the patient within the first two attempts. The third attempt was a success, (hospital policy was two attempts and then call for assistance) however the patient began to complain of discomfort at the IV site and called for assistance during the remainder of her treatment and stay in the ER. Documentation was written that the patient complained of the discomfort and tolerated it poorly. Upon complaint, the nurse should have evaluated the IV site and taken note of her pain and discomfort, since they both contributed to red flags and pain combined with redness or swelling contributes to complications of an IV, the problem should have been reported and another placement of another line should have been offered at a different site. According to documents, there was no other line inserted or any documentation that proves that the patient refused a course of action.
As a health care institution, a hospital may be liable for their employees infractions and may even lead them to costly consequences. Malpractice in nursing can happen when a nurse fails to perform their basic duties competently and in causation harms the patient. There are …show more content…
These actions may be in the nurses’ line of duty and may fall in the obligations of administering medication or calling for further assistance. Because nurses are at the front line and in contact with patients, being able to follow procedures during events is required. Another way a nurse may be held liable is if a nurse injures a patient with equipment. By avoiding hazards like equipment falling onto the patient, burns or other types of hazards like leaving a sponge in the body of a patient during the course of surgery, can also be grounds for medical malpractice. One of the key functions of patient care that happens on a daily basis can also be the administration of medication to the patient. Often this duty can subject the nurses or any other health care practitioner at risk for malpractice if harm is done to the patient by administering the wrong drug, the wrong dosage, wrong patient and even improper injection of the medication into the proper areas such as injecting meds in the wrong area, hitting muscle instead of vein, or hitting a nerve (NOLO Law for All, …show more content…
East Jefferson General Hospital 747 So.2d 104 LA (1999) a nurse was charged with negligence in an Acute Care setting because of injury to a patient when the nurse needed three attempts at successfully inserting an intravenous catheter. In this case, the female patient was admitted to the Emergency Department after complaints of abdominal pain and the orders from the doctor were to start treatment, which included a intravenous line for medication. A nurse was assigned and an Intravenous Catheter was placed, but with much difficulty because of the patient’s veins and unable to stick the patient within the first two attempts. The third attempt was a success, (hospital policy was two attempts and then call for assistance) however the patient began to complain of discomfort at the IV site and called for assistance during the remainder of her treatment and stay in the ER. Documentation was written that the patient complained of the discomfort and tolerated it poorly. Upon complaint, the nurse should have evaluated the IV site and taken note of her pain and discomfort, since they both contributed to red flags and pain combined with redness or swelling contributes to complications of an IV, the problem should have been reported and another placement of another line should have been offered at a different site. According to documents, there was no other line inserted or any documentation that proves that the patient refused a course of action.