How Can Nurses Prevent Malpractice?
Nurses do everything they can to ensure they provide the best care for their patients. However, sometimes they do face accusations of malpractice. Mistakes can happen, especially during busy times, like the height of the pandemic when there was a demand for nurses to take care of an overwhelming number of patients, and when people are working long hours. Burnout can lead to nurses making errors in patient care. For instance, a nurse taking care of several patients at a time may dispense medications later than the prescribed hour, which may cause serious side effects on the patient鈥檚 health.
Additionally, nurses work directly in all aspects of medical care. This degree of involvement and responsibility increases their risk of malpractice allegations. This is a reality that aspiring nurses need to come to grips with as they study for an RN degree.
Based on the data provided by the Nurses Claim Report, , such as drug administration, monitoring, and clinical assessments.
, 鈥淣urses are looking at their work and their documentation one way, but we don鈥檛 really teach them that there are other people who are looking at it in a very different way. We have to bring more awareness among nurses about the risks they face and how to protect themselves.鈥
With the proper knowledge, nurses can defend their expertise in a suit.
4. Document every activity
Most hospitals have standard operating procedures (SOPs) when dealing with complex situations. Know the hospital policies and make sure you refer to them when making decisions. One of the basic SOPs is recording details in your nurse鈥檚 notes. Include all the medications, procedures, and requests that concern the patient.
Documenting every detail also helps doctors to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and prepare the best treatment options. Good records serve as the nurses鈥 and other practitioners鈥 protection should a patient claim against them.
Recent improvements in teaching methods and clinical training have drastically reduced cases of nursing malpractice over the years. While it may be impossible to completely eradicate them, nurses must remain vigilant to protect their rights and defend their actions.
嫩天堂 College has always been committed to providing aspiring nurses with adequate knowledge to help them prepare as they enter the profession. Explore our programs page to know more about our course offerings.
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