[brian]

One of the most essential tools in any nurse's legal defense fund is to acquire a copy of the Nurse Practice Act, also known as "the Act" from your State Board of Nursing. "The Act" is the standard by which decisions will be made regarding issues relating to malpractice suits.
Answers to the types of questions listed below can be found in "the Act". If you don't have a copy from your state, visit the Nurse Practice Act and request one ASAP. And if you relocate, request a new one with your license.

• Can an LPN care for patient with a Swan-Ganz catheter?
• Can an LPN hang a piggyback with 50 cc's of fluid in it or push IV-meds?
• What are the duties of a nurse's aid and are the RN's liable?

Policy and Procedures Always review and double check the general nursing manual, as well as any that pertain to your specific area of practice. If your hospital has a policy that is different from "the Act" follow the guidelines in the "the Act".

Full Story: The nurses legal toolkit [phillyBurbs.com,PA]

Note: to find your board of nursing, use the following Page here:
http://allnurses.com/forums/boards-of-nursing.php

[sirI]

Thank you, Brian, for submitting this.

Truly, the nurse must be aware of and actually be familiar with their individual Nurse Practice Act (NPA) as well as Standards of Care.

The Legal Nurse Consultant must also be aware and possess a working knowledge of every state NPA in order to know exactly what is expected of the nurse in that state when consulting a case.

[sirI]

Here is the link to each individual state's BON to find your own NPA:

List of Individual States - State Board of Nursing


The Standard of Care (SOC) is generally defined as that degree of care, expertise, and judgment exercised by a reasonable and prudent nurse under the same or similar circumstances.

Several themes span all areas of nursing practice, are fundamental to many of the standards, and have emerged as being consistently and significantly influential in current nursing practice.

Here are standards that never change:

1. Providing age-appropriate and culturally and ethnically sensitive care
2. Maintaining a safe environment
3. Educating patients about healthy practices and treatment modalities
4. Assuring continuity of care
5. Coordinating the care across settings and among caregivers
6. Managing information
7. Communicating effectively
8. Utilizing technology