Question

1. A nurse is volunteering in the first aid tent at a large public event. What protects this nurse from tort liability?

What are the essential elements of malpractice? How can a nurse avoid malpractice?

Select one issue of concern to staff nurses. You can select an issue presented in this week's readings, or another issue.

Identify the issue.

How does this issue impact nurse's safety and well-being?

How does this issue impact client care?

How can nurses advocate to improve this topic concern?

Answer 1

A nurse can be protected from the tort liability in the following way

• Maintaining and developing skills related to the care
• Maintaining high competency and providing evidence based, rationalized care.
• Prioritize the patient needs and minimize discomfort
• Monitor patients for complications

In general these nurses are protected under the Hospital liability or the healthcare sector where they are employed.

The essential elements of malpractice are

• Duty
  • The nurse can avoid malpractice by doing the needed care for a patient in regards to the disease condition which can ease the patient mentally and physically and help in early recovery
• Breach:
  • The nurse cam avoid this by providing the right care after getting consent and not intentionally or intentionally hiding things to the patient in the care or breaking the confidentiality of a patient
• Injury
  • The nurse can avoid this by having proper professional skill and knowledge while handling patient so that injury can be prevented
• Damages
  • The nurse should make sure the action done by them doesn't lead to any temporary or permanent damage

One of the concern is shortage of nursing staff .This can impact nurse's safety and well being by

• Working for long time or extended duty can cause physical strain
• More workload can impact psychologically and give out stress and emotional trauma
• It can lead to medical error while handling patient
• A nurse can advocate this to their supervisor and get access to more staff and improve their quality of life.