Nurse Malpractice and Litigation
Posted on Jul 18, 2013 2:50pm PDT
There are many different types of medical malpractice, and one of the common issues occurs when a nurse fails to perform his or her duty as expected. If that negligence or failure to care for a patient results in injury to that patient, then this can qualify as medical malpractice. There are a variety of different ways that a nurse can harm a patient. These span from administering the drug to a patient to failing to let the doctor know that the patient has taken a turn for the worse.
Normally, nurses are responsible to cover all basic care and oversee treatments and medication. The doctor is called in frequently for check-ups, but the nurses are the ones that are extremely involved in the day-to-day at the hospital. Oftentimes nursing malpractice can be complicated, because a variety of parties can be held liable. The nurse can be held responsible for his or her actions, or the plaintiff may be able to sue the hospital. The plaintiff may also be able to sue the doctor for failing to monitor the nurse correctly.
Nursing malpractice is proven when the plaintiff can show that any other competent nurse would have fulfilled the duty differently. For example, if a patient suddenly takes a turn for the worse, a competent nurse would call the doctor to be present. A negligent and malpracticing nurse may turn a blind eye because calling the doctor would interfere with his or her lunch break. Not every mistake that happens in a hospital is considered negligence. Sometimes nurses and doctors make errors that are honest, and couldn't have been avoided by the average physician. You will want to discuss your nursing malpractice case with a wise malpractice lawyer to see if it is legitimate and is a case that is work pursuing. You may find that your case does not have enough merit.
One common reason that individuals will file a nursing malpractice case is when the nurse does or says nothing despite the obvious fact that action is required. Nurses are often the main line of communication between a bedridden patient and the doctor who is busy with others all throughout the hospital. When the nurse fails to express concerns to the doctor in a timely manner, it can lead to unnecessary suffering for the patient. In some cases, this can even lead to death. Also, nurses can be sued if they failed to notice a very obvious change in a patient's condition, as it is their duty to monitor patient's health and recovery.
Another reason that nurses can be held liable for malpractice is if they injury a patient with equipment. Nurses are normally in charge of administering IV's, fiving medications, and connecting the patient to any life support machines or other aids. When the nurse does not do these correctly, or knocks heavy equipment onto the patient, then he or she may be held liable for the accident. Also, if nurses mix up patients and give the wrong medication to the wrong individual, then this can result in a malpractice case.
Also, if the nurse administers the wrong dosage of medication, this is a reason to file for nurse malpractice. All nurses should have organized files that tell them exactly how much medication the doctor has prescribed. If they fail to honor this, then they can be sued. Once again, the plaintiff will always need to prove that a competent nurse would not have made the same mistake. If you have more questions about nurse malpractice, or think that you might have a case, then you need to discuss your options with a local medical malpractice lawyer today! Use this directory to find an able attorney near you!