Malpractice is when a professional fails to perform to an expected standard, and a patient is injured or hurt. Nurses, like doctors, are held to a specific standard of practice. When a nurse fails to follow the expected standard of practice, it is known as nursing malpractice. Patients, especially in a hospital or nursing home situation, are often unaware of the extent to which nurses are responsible for their care and well-being. Speaking to a personal injury lawyer is often the most reliable way to find answers.
It is frequently the nurse’s obligation in a hospital setting to ensure that the patient’s documentation is updated as needed.
Overmedicating, combining medications that cause undesirable side effects when administered together, and provoking allergic reactions can all be caused when information from a chart is missing.
The delivery of medicines, treatments, and tests is another of the nurse’s responsibilities.
A nurse is expected to take great care when doing these procedures to ensure that the correct drug is administered in the proper dose. It’s also crucial that testing is performed correctly so that the doctor or specialist can receive reliable results.
In most hospitals, nurses are required to follow protocols in specific instances.
A hospital, for example, will have a set of protocols in place for a nurse to follow if a patient stops breathing. A nurse is expected to be familiar with these guidelines and to follow them carefully in appropriate instances. A nurse’s failure to follow protocol may result in a nursing malpractice claim in an emergency circumstance. If you feel as though you have fallen victim to such a case, immediately contact a personal injury lawyer.
Because a nurse’s responsibilities are so diverse, nursing malpractice could include various acts or omissions. It’s critical to consider the roles of each member of the healthcare team, including nurses, when evaluating a medical malpractice claim.
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