When you think of medical malpractice, you may think of errors caused by doctors. However, doctors are not the only ones who can get sued for medical malpractice. Nurses can also be held liable for patient harm and death.
While we expect that all medical professionals will abide by a reasonable standard of care,
advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), and registered nurses (RN) are all capable of providing subpar patient care. They may do things that are unsafe, unethical, or in violation of the law.
Nursing malpractice occurs when a nurse provides poor medical care and it causes injury or death to a patient. It can happen anywhere that nurses work, including hospitals, nursing facilities, doctor’s offices, and patients’ homes.
If you have been affected, you need to hold the nurses liable for their actions. The experienced legal team at Freidin Brown, P.A. can help. Our Fort Lauderdale nursing error lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve for your damages.
Types of Nursing Errors
Nursing errors can occur in various ways, including the following:
- Failure to address a patient’s symptoms
- Failure to recognize signs of distress
- Failure to follow a doctor’s orders
- Failure to prescribe medication
- Failure to give the correct medication or dosage
- Poor documentation
- Poor communication with health care team
- Poor patient monitoring
- Not following safety protocols
- Using equipment without proper training
- Making any other type of error that results in life-altering injury or death
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Poor Communication
Poor communication is a major cause of medical malpractice. This is especially true for nurse errors, as nurses often deal with patients more than doctors do and are therefore the main line of communication between doctors and patients.
A nurse who fails to communicate patient data to the attending physician can be held liable for patient harm. So can a nurse who fails to communicate relevant discharge information to a patient. In fact, communication problems are a contributing factor in roughly 30% of medical malpractice cases. Miscommunication can have serious repercussions.
Staffing Issues
As hospitals and clinics try to save money, staffing issues have become prevalent. Inadequate staffing has overwhelmed nurses, especially during the pandemic. Understaffing results in more work that has to be done in less time. These pressures cause immense stress for nurses. They may neglect patients, forget to do certain tasks, and take out their frustrations on patients. In addition, time constraints leave little time to train and supervise new nurses, making errors more likely to occur. As a result, nurses tend to experience physical and mental exhaustion as well as burnout.
Contact Freidin Brown, P.A. Today
In medical malpractice cases, it’s important to assign liability. While doctors are often at fault, nurses can share the blame as well.
The Fort Lauderdale nursing error lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. can assess your situation and determine liability. Schedule a free consultation with our office by filling out the online form or calling us today.