Concerned mother asks about dangers of nurse’s shift work
A nurse’s mother asked about the dangers of extensive shift work to patients and nurses. She said her daughter fell asleep six times on her way home from work. What are the dangers?
Lawsuit brings to light importance of adhering to disabilities act
After their son passes away, his parents, who are deaf, and his sister file a lawsuit alleging the hospital violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and state law.
Is a nurse’s gender and training equally important when treating a victim of sexual assault?
A male emergency room nurse, who had never done a rape kit or exam for a female sexual assault victim, was ordered to do so or face insubordination charges. Nurse attorney Nancy Brent discusses the complicated issues of training and gender in this case.
Can a school nurse be accused of patient abandonment?
Legal blogger Nancy Brent, MS, JD, RN, responds to a question from a school nurse about her potential liability if a student has a medical emergency when the nurse is out to lunch.
Nurse advocacy can elicit big changes
Whether you're a nurse who contacts a physician about a change in a patient’s condition, questions an order you think is potentially dangerous to your patient or contacts your CNO about nurse-patient ratios on your unit, you are practicing nurse advocacy.
Improper observation accusations are legal minefield for nurses
Monitoring patients is a fundamental part of nursing practice. Improper observation of patients can result in an injury or death and can place nurses in a bad position legally.
What to expect when your nursing license is suspended
A suspension of one’s professional nursing license is a serious discipline. Only a revocation is grimmer. Although any professional licensure discipline may present problems, a suspension raises unique complications.
Did a hostile work environment cause a nurse to resign?
A nurse quit her job after her nurse manager accused her patient care missteps. The nurse manager and CNO wanted to fire the nurse, but she resigned first because of what she described as a “hostile work environment.” She wondered if she had any legal grounds to pursue that claim.
Defaulting on nursing student loan payments can cause major headaches
A nurse inadvertently defaulted on her nursing student loan. Although the situation was quickly remedied, the record of her temporary suspension became public record.
Medication administration in long-term care is complicated
The medication administration process is not to be taken lightly. It is highly structured and regulated by standards of nursing practice.