▪︎ Top 5 Reasons Nurses Are Disciplined by Boards of Nursing and Case Examples

#1. Unprofessional Conduct: This broad category covers behaviors that violate ethical standards, including falsifying records, breaching patient confidentiality, or engaging in inappropriate relationships with patients. Case Example: In 2022, a nurse in California was disciplined for falsifying patient records to cover up a medication error. The nurse documented administering a prescribed dose of insulin to…

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▪︎ Monitor Alarms Turned Off Result in Catastrophic Cases!

I have periodically been involved in cases where monitor alarms have been silenced, resulting in catastrophic injuries to the patient. In the most recent case I was involved in regarding this issue, a 40 y.o. patient who was hospitalized for pancreatitis suffered an unwitnessed cardiac arrest, but no one knew it because the cardiac monitor…

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▪︎ There Are Many Things Nurses Can Do to Help Protect Themselves From Malpractice Claims

Nurses can take steps to protect themselves from negligence and malpractice claims while ensuring patient safety. Here are some of the most effective ways to minimize risks: 1. Follow Standard Procedures & Policies: Follow facility protocols and evidence based best nursing practices. Use checklists for medication administration, wound care, and other high-risk procedures. Follow the…

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▪︎ New Malpractice Case – Old Problem

If you work in healthcare you know that retained foreign objects are a common source of malpractice cases against physicians who do surgery. But did you know nurses who perform the “sponge count” may also be named as a defendant in these cases. A lawsuit filed against Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital recently alleges a surgical…

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▪︎ I Just Testified As an Expert Witness in This Case…(LNC)

A wooden table with a scale on it in the middle of a courtroom.

Last month I testified as an expert witness in this unfortunate case involving a patient who was seen in the ED for severe, acute pancreatitis and severe dehydration. His condition was documented as “very unstable.” Although one ED physician documented that the patient should be admitted to the ICU, when she went off shift another physician…

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