Nursing Standards and Malpractice

by Kristen White Blogger The standards of care or practice in nursing are general guidelines that provide a basis as to how a nurse should act and what they should or should not do in their professional capacity. When a nurse deviates from the standard this can result in certain legal implications. This article will discuss the standards of nursing care and the associated legal implications when nurses fail to meet such standards.

By definition a standard is an established practice that is accepted as correct within a specific industry. Organizations providing oversight often develops standards of practice so as to define the type of quality that should be provided. In nursing such standards change as new methods and technology changes. The standards are based on the most recent scientific data available. With regards to nursing, standards have been developed through the contribution of administrative, academic and clinical experts.

Nursing standards of care are important because they recognize the trusted role that nurses play. Such standards are considered to be the baseline for quality care. These standards must be developed while assessing the state and federal rules, regulations and laws that govern the practice of nursing. Other agencies and organizations may assist in the development of such standards. It is important to note that standards of care apply equally to nurses in various settings and they govern the nurses’ practice at every level of practice.

It is not uncommon for standards of care to be established at the national level so that care will be the same regardless of the venue. However, states and local areas may also establish their own set of standards of care.

Nursing standards of care are important for a number of reasons, some of these reasons include:
Outlining professional expectations of nurses
Guiding nurses on proper protocol
Giving an objective standard of evaluation of nurses
Providing consistency throughout the profession in order for patients to receive quality care
Providing nurses with the necessary information to know the quality of care required of them
Generally, nurses are expected to be in compliance with these standards and to ensure that their own underlings are in compliance. A nurse’s compliance with the standards of care protect the public.

If a nurse fails to meet the accepted standards of care, he or she may be found negligent if their negligence  caused a patient harm. In most litigation, a nurse is accused of violating a standard of care in a negligence lawsuit. However, in the medical profession this is referred to as malpractice.

Nurses may be held liable in malpractice cases if they inappropriately administer medication, fail to monitor equipment, fail to warn patients about known harms or fail to protect patients from known dangers. Nurses are required to completely and accurately report the assessment and observations that they make regarding each patient in a timely manner. Their failure to monitor the patient’s condition or be alerted to changes in the patient’s condition may be found as negligence.

For legal advice on nursing malpractice contact lawyers in Wasilla Alaska  today.

Resource Box: To contact a lawyer for plane accident in Wasilla  the author recommends the Crowson Law Group.

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Created on May 13th 2020 09:14. Viewed 168 times.

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