Legal Flashcards
Who defines the legal boundaries of nursing in a state?
Nurse practice acts
How is it determined that a nurse acted with a reasonable care in a legal situation (6)?
- Followed standards of care
- Gave competent care
- Communicated with other health care team members (& with client)
- Developed a caring rapport with client
- Fully documented assessments, interventions, and evals—documentation was done!
- Use equip. in a knowledgable and responsible manner
T/F: Saying “i was just following physicians orders” is a defense for malpractice
F!!! NOT a defense for malpractice!
What have all nurses gained?
Authority
Autonomy
Accountable
All nurses have assumed what for their own practices?
Responsibility
Accountability
Liability
Nurses have more __ & __ in decision making
Authority and independence
Nurses have increased ____ for decision making
Legal accountability
Nurses are performing more actions that used to be in the realm of ___
Medical practice
Nurses are making ___ money
More
More nurses are carrying _____
Malpractice insurance
*increased chance of being sued bc they know they can get money out of you
Nurses have an ____ responsibility to take appropriate safeguard patients
Independent
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
How to practice?
Within the scope of the nurse practice act
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
Observe what?
Agency policies and procedures
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
Model what?
Practice after established standards by using EBP
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
Always put what first?
Patients rights and welfare
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
Be areas of what?
Relevant law and legal doctrines
Reducing the risk of malpractice claims
Practice within what? Upgrade what?
The area of individual competence and upgrade technical skills consistently
What is one critical strategy for addressing errors in the health-care system?
The need to increase both the mandatory and voluntary reporting of medical errors
What does ignoring the problem of medical errors, denying their existence, or blaming the individuals involved in the process do in regards to medical errors?
Does nothing to eliminate the underlying problems
What do you do if you discover a medical error was made on previous shift?
Determine if pt. is ok and file an incident report
T/F: Document in the patients chart their incidence report
FALSE!!! Don’t do this!
