Should nurses be held responsible for their mistakes

[MollyJ]

I believe it was last year, but it could have been year before, nurses at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita KS successfully defended themselves against a law suit using understaffing as a defense. I gather they were able to prove that they had asked for help and documented their concerns with staffing.

[kjmta57]

Thank you for the replys but I find in calif nurses are being held responsible again and again.Recently we have an mta on ATO administrative time off for something the administration has caused as a policy.at least she is getting paid awhile its being investagatied but it irks me the way they went after the nurse and not the policy!

[Stacey Tortorice]

All of us nurses should have a way to protect our selves.I do not think that we should get blam for something that we were told to do by the head people that effected the patient and should be noted in the chart and also belive all nurses should keep their own records of daily doings I know that I did

because they are sure not going to back you up on anything.I know where I work that they do not like this at all and I have had my personal notebook stolen out of my purse and what I have to say about that is that if they did not think that what I had to say in the bool was true they would have never taken it from the start but what they do not know is that I have the same notes at home that were in my book that they took.do not care what kind of a nurse you are we all have to have a way to protect ourselves because I will not go down for someone else that did something that they should not have done.

[Barbara Rose]

HowRUfeeling;

Your management is responsible, whether they want to be or not, when you are short staffed. Follow the chain of command and call for help. If they don't show up, document who you talked to and what time, etc. I have been DON in nursing homes for more than 10 years. I work the floor often, and even 10-6 shift. There are no exempt jobs in the nursing home, not 8-5 and not M-F only for management. If no one else comes, the management staff has to. Check the state boards and practice acts, they can be held liable and prosecuted for not responding.