Legal and Legislative Issues Part II & Professional Advocacy (Ch. 5 & 6) Flashcards
what is the Nurse Practice Act?
Legal instrument that defines the functions of nursing and sets standards for licensure.
It grants authority to carry out those functions.
Each state has its own NPA, but all must be consistent with provisions or statutes established at the federal level
Nurses are at increased legal liability in the 21st century due to:
- More authority and independence in decision making.
- Increased legal accountability for decision making.
- Doing more things that used to be in the realm of medical practice.
- Making more money.
- More of carry malpractice insurance
what are two types of negligence and what are the differences?
Ordinary negligence (the omission to do something that a reasonable person would do)
Professional negligence (also called malpractice)
what is the background for professional negligence?
Liability
Role expansion
Professional liability
Advanced practice nurses
what is the definition of professional negligence?
The failure of a person with professional training to act in a reasonable and prudent manner (also known as Malpractice).
what are the elements of malpractice?
Plaintiff
Defendant
Negligence
Reasonable & Prudent
Malpractice
what are the 5 elements for malpractice liability?
- Standard of Care
- Breach of Duty
- Foreseeability of harm
- Relationship between breach & harm
- Actual injury
what is the standard of care?
- What is expected of a professional, prudent nurse
- Appropriate care for circumstances
- Liability: Duty to use due care
Ex: Giving meds
~ Meds should be given accurately, completely & timely
what is the breach of duty?
Not giving the appropriate care for under relative circumstances.
Liability: Failure to meet standard of care
Ex: Nurse fails to administer meds accurately, completely & timely
what is under ordinary circumstances?
The question of whether a nurse acted with reasonable and prudent care is determined by the testimony of expert nursing witnesses.
what is foreseeability of harm?
Must have had the knowledge or information that not meeting the standard could pose harm.
Liability: If the reasonable person could have for seen the injury as a result of the action
Ex: Available drug info. Specifies that the wrong dosage or route may cause injury.
what is breach in care?
Direct relationship between failure to meet standard of care & injury can be proven
Liability: Failure to meet the standard of care could injure the patient.
Ex: Wrong dosage causes the patient to have a convulsion
what is injury?
The injury is more than temporary. The action caused the injury.
Liability: Actual patient injury
Ex: Convulsion or the occurrence of a serious complication
what is professional negligence?
Nurses are being sued more and more for not attempting to notify health care providers of changes in a patient’s condition or to convince the providers of the seriousness of a patient’s condition (ability to foresee harm)
what should be known about being sued for malpractice?
“Just following physician orders” is NOT a defense for malpractice.
Nurses have an independent responsibility to take appropriate steps to safeguard patients.
how do you avoid malpractice?
- 3 Areas in the call of action
- Healthcare in Crossroads (Joint Comm.)
~ Prevent Injury
~ Improve Communication
~ Examine mechanisms for injury compensation
what are actions to reduce malpractice claims?
- Practice in scope NPA
- Adhere to agency P & P
- Model practice on EBP
- Patients & rights first
- Know law, doctrine & basis of Nsg. Practice
- Practice in areas of competence
- Update skills & certification
- Liability insurance*
what is extending liability?
Joint Liability Charitable Immunity Vicarious Liability Respondent Superior Personal Liability
what are incident report and what should you know?
- Records of unusual or unexpected incidents that occur in the course of a client’s treatment.
- Reports are considered confidential and cannot be subpoenaed by clients or used as evidence in their lawsuits in most states.
- NEVER leave a copy of the incident report in the chart
- NEVER document on the nurses notes that an incident report was completed
what are unintentional torts (malpractice)?
Assault and battery False imprisonment Invasion of privacy Defamation of character Slander
what is assault?
conduct that makes a person fearful and produces a reasonable apprehension of harm.
Ex: If you take dressing off, apply restraints
what is battery?
an intentional and wrongful physical contact with a person that entails an injury or offensive touching.
Ex: Use of restraints
what is false imprisonment?
The restraint of a person’s liberty of movement by another party who lacks legal authority or justification to do so.
Ex. Involuntary commitments to mental health facilities, keeping a patient in the hospital who wants to sign out AMA, and……
The use of physical restraints has led to claims of false imprisonment. (without proper documentation, neuro checks, supervision)
what are frequent causes of claims against nurses?
- Inadequate documentation
- Inadequate communication with physician or supervisors about changes in patient conditions
- Leaving potentially harmful items within patient reach
- Unattended patient falls
- Inaccurate counting of operative instruments and sponges
- Misidentifying patients for medications, surgeries, tests