Negligence & Malpractice
Informed Consent
Charting
Liability Insurance
Dealing with a Lawsuit
100
Unintentional conduct that falls below a standard of care established for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm.
What is negligence?
100
Nurses are required to explain all of these to their patient before performing any care.
What are nursing procedures?
100
This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing any nurse can do to protect him/herself from a lawsuit.
What is proper documenting?
100
This covers all your costs if you are ever named in a lawsuit (or even just called to testify).
What is liability insurance?
100
The only person you should discuss a case with if you are named in a lawsuit.
Who is your lawyer?
200
A type of negligence that results when a professional person (i.e. nurse) fails to perform his or her professional duties in a reasonable manner.
What is malpractice?
200
Patients must never feel this way, in order for the consent to be legal.
What is coerced?
200
You should always do this before you begin charting.
What is make sure you have the correct patient's chart.
200
This will not cover you if you act outside your scope of practice.
What is your employer's liability insurance?
200
Always do this before answering questions posed by any lawyer.
What is think before you speak?
300
In a negligence case, it has to be proved that a nurse breached this.
What is a standard of care?
300
Doctors may never delegate this to a nurse.
What is obtaining informed consent?
300
If you forget to chart something, simply begin your charting with this (along with the date and time).
What is "late entry."
300
Name one company who sells liability insurance for nurses.
What is NSO? What is ANA?
300
Never be afraid to do this if you don't understand something said to you during deposition.
What is ask for clarification?
400
In order for your employer to be responsible for your actions, you must practice within this.
What is your scope of practice?
400
This is one reason a nurse can treat a patient without informed consent.
1. The patient is unable to give consent d/t intoxication, mental incompetence, or the patient is incoherent or unconscious. 2. There is risk of serious bodily harm if treatment is delayed. 3. A reasonable person would consent to treatment under the circumstances. 4. This patient would normally consent to the treatment under the circumstances
400
Never chart this without charting what you did about it.
What is a symptom?
400
Name another instance when your employer's insurance will not cover you (other than acting outside your scope of practice).
What is volunteering?
400
Don't ever do this during a deposition.
What is attempt to blame others?
500
Name one of the four things that needs to be proven in a malpractice case.
1. The nurse owes the patient a duty. 2. The nurse has breached that duty or standard of care. 3. Harm or damage has resulted and can be linked to the duty owed. 4. The breached duty is the proximate cause of the harm or damage.
500
The patient has the right to this, although the nurse has a responsibility to ensure the patient has all the information needed to make an informed decision.
What is refuse care?
500
You should never chart this ahead of time.
What is nursing care?
500
Liability insurance will even cover you if you are ever called before this group.
What is the state's Board of Nursing?
500
Above all else, if ever called for deposition, you should always do this.
What is tell the truth?
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