Negligence???

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a new nursing student and we are reading about nursings laws and ethics.

I have two questions. I understand you cannot abandon a patient. It can be punishable by law. WHAT IF though, YOU yourself have an emergency while you are caring for a patient?? Say you get really dizzy, feel like you are going to faint and need to lay down right away... or say you have a heart condition and for some reason it starts to act up... tachycardia, PAC's, etc. and you need to take some medicine or lay down... what about situations that arise?? What if you get a call that your Dad has been in a terrible car accident and you have to go immediately... help... what does one do when you have to leave suddenly and you are trying to take care of a patient??

Other question...I know nurses CANNOT diagnose medical diseases or prescribe meds. What if we feel we have an idea as to what it MAY be though?? And we know of meds. that MAY help the patient. Can we collaborate with the attending doctor?? Can we make a suggestion??

Yikes.. so much to learn... good info. to know. Thank you! Epona

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If you have an emergency, your coworkers cover for you until a replacement can be found.

Yes, you can collaborate with the doctor. They are not gods, although some think they are.

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Yes.. I've seen a *few* doctors who would take the nurses suggestion into consideration, especially if you're working with interns..

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Specializes in Critical Care: Cardiac, VAD, Transplant.

Good questions! I am learning about the legal/ethical considerations this semester, also. One thing I am totally shocked by:If a doctor prescribes a medication and dosage, the nurse is totally liable if the dosage is wrong. I know now why we need all the math classes! I will definately be practicing my med calcs next semester!

The other thing we were told is that if the pharmacist sends up a medication and it is mis-labled, the nurse is liable if he/she gives the wrong medication. That one I do not understand at all.:uhoh21:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.
good questions! i am learning about the legal/ethical considerations this semester, also. one thing i am totally shocked by:if a doctor prescribes a medication and dosage, the nurse is totally liable if the dosage is wrong. i know now why we need all the math classes! i will definately be practicing my med calcs next semester!

the other thing we were told is that if the pharmacist sends up a medication and it is mis-labled, the nurse is liable if he/she gives the wrong medication. that one i do not understand at all.:uhoh21:

because you need to make sure you look at the lable on the product not just the lable the pharmacist has afixed to the plastic baggie they send the med up in.

[color=#483d8b]make sure: it is the right drug; it is the right strength (liq meds) or right dose (pills); and it has not expired.

[color=#483d8b]i have had the wrong med sent to me in a plastic baggie with the correct lable on it. caught it right away, because i looked at the vial and said, "hey, this is reglan, not decadron."

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[color=#483d8b]now lets say they mislable an admixed drip. say levophed or something else that doesn't come in a premixed bag. that you are not responsible for, since there is no way for you to be able to tell what is really in that bag.

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One thing I am totally shocked by:If a doctor prescribes a medication and dosage, the nurse is totally liable if the dosage is wrong. The other thing we were told is that if the pharmacist sends up a medication and it is mis-labled, the nurse is liable if he/she gives the wrong medication. That one I do not understand at all.:uhoh21:

Not quite.......the is responsible for knowing that the dosage is safe, which means looking things up if she doesn't know. If the nurse takes part in an incorrect treatment, then she is liable for her part in it, but so is the doc.

As for the meds being mislabelled in the pharmacy, the nurse would not be liable if there was no way to tell. If, say, the pharmacist added one med to an IV bag but labelled it with another name, the nurse hangs the IV bag in good faith. If, however, say Diovan is ordered for a pt and Diamox is sent by mistake, the nurse would be expected to catch it before administering the pill.

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
If you have an emergency, your coworkers cover for you until a replacement can be found.

Yes, you can collaborate with the doctor. They are not gods, although some think they are.

Apparently, Tazzi, you did not learn in nursing school that MD= Medical Deity. ;)

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Ok. Thanks all. So if the nurse herself has to leave for an emergency, whether her own or a family members, she will not be held for abandonment as long as a co-worker can cover, correct? What is there is no co-worker?

THANKS! :idea:

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If an emergency comes up - you are lightheaded or your dad wrecks his car - you need to go to your charge nurse. That person can dismiss you and get your co-workers to cover for you. If you are unwell (heart problems) chances are they will send you to the E.R. if it is an emergency. I'm not sure where you would be that you would have no co-worker, but if so you would need to call your supervisor.

Also, you will find which doctors are open to collaboration and which aren't. Some will do the exact opposite just b/c it was suggested by a nurse. But usually if you are open to learn they are willing to teach why they are going a certain way or another, depending on how you approach the situation.

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When I was sick before my surgery, I passed out on the job not once, but twice, in the home. I do home care. I conversed with the pt's spouse as long as I was able to. She called the ambulance and the agency to let them know that I was being transported. I gave all info and transferred my pt. to the spouse. It was embarassing as all get out, but could not be helped. My documentation (done when I was well enough to do it), reflected that I had properly turned over my pt. Unfortunately for me, but fortunate for the pt., my agency replaced me while I was out on disability leave.

In another case, a night nurse on the case I was working, called the ambulance in the middle of the night for herself without so much as waking the parents of the peds pt she was watching. The paramedics came blasting in, and scared the family out of their wits, because of course, they were upstairs sleeping and assumed that their son was in distress. Needless to say, they told the agency that they did not want that nurse back on their case.

I have seen many situations of pt abandonment in home care. It is pt abandonment when you falsify the times on your documentation to reflect time that you are not in the home in order to cheat your employer of pay.

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point is... you cannot be held liable for abandonment unless otherwise, proven by the ruling court. So just hope and pray that nothing will happen while you're away from your patient..

Gud day to all!

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Wow. As always, you all have been most helpful. Thank you. If something crops up, I will just go to my supervisor and inform then. Then if I can, I will document why I am leaving and make a copy to cover myself (if I have the time in an emergency). Otherwise, I will have to hope my sup. is legitimate and understanding in an emergent situation. One can only do what they can.

THANK YOU TO ALL!!! Epona :penguin:

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