Nursing Negligence is Increasing in Hospitals

Though more medical malpractice lawsuits are filed against physicians as opposed to nurses, the number of nursing negligence lawsuits are increasing. According to research, nursing negligence mostly happens when nurses fail to:

• Follow the standards of care
• Assess and monitor their patients
• Communicate
• Document the patient’s care in their medical record
• Follow the chain of command
• Act as the patient’s advocate

The best thing that nurses can do to protect themselves is to practice within the requirements of their job description, document patient care, and never alter records after the fact.

In short, if nurses follow the nine provisions established by the American Nurses Association in their everyday practice, then they are more likely to protect themselves and their patients. These provisions include:

• Practicing with compassion and respect for the dignity, worth, and unique attributes of all patients
• Committing primarily to the patient
• Promoting, advocating for, and protecting the rights, health, and safety of patients
• Having authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice and the profession
• Owing the same duties to themselves as they do others
• Establishing, maintaining, and improving the ethical environment of their work setting
• Advancing the profession through research, professional development, and generation of nursing and health policies
• Collaborating with other healthcare professionals and the public to protect human rights and their patients
• Articulating nursing values, maintaining the integrity of the profession, and integrating the principles of social justice into nursing health policy

Legal Matters

Just because nursing negligence doesn’t happen as often as other types of medical malpractice doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen at all. Anyone can easily become a victim of nursing negligence, and it’s crucial to have a medical malpractice lawyer on hand if you do.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are no walk in the park. They can be long, time-consuming, and expensive. You’d fare far better with a medical malpractice attorney than on your own. If you live in NYC, you should contact an NYC medical malpractice attorney who understands the medical malpractice laws and the statute of limitations specific to the state to represent you and assist with your case.

Contact

If you have read this article and think that you might have been a victim of nursing negligence, there is help for you. To get a better understanding of whether medical malpractice did occur, you can speak to the medical malpractice lawyers of Rosenburg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff LLP in NYC. 

You can have a free, confidential consultation by contacting one of our medical malpractice attorneys on 212-344-1000 today.