Nurses are an integral part of patient care. Nurses are responsible for relaying important information to doctors and other medical personnel, charting a patient’s vitals and making sure that doctors’ orders are carried out. Good nursing ensures that patients receive the best possible care. Nurses are also a patient’s advocate and the first line of defense when it comes to communicating with doctors. Because they are such an important part of patient care, nursing errors can have serious consequences.
Common Examples of Nurse Negligence
Nurses should be properly trained to handle the duties of the particular department where they are assigned. It is essential that nurses don’t drop the ball when it comes to patient care because, at times, they are the eyes and ears of the doctor and have more contact with the patient. Many hospitals are short-staffed which can result in nurses who are overworked and overtired. This can lead to negligent patient care. Examples of nurse negligence include:
- Failure to properly monitor a patient
- Failure to follow proper hand-off procedures when communicating information about patients during shift change
- Failure to communicate important information to a patient’s doctor
- Allowing a patient who is a fall risk to move about on their own
- Failure to properly carry out a doctor’s orders
- Errors in medication administration such as administering the wrong meds or giving meds at the wrong time
- Dropping a patient during a transfer or failing to use a patient lift
- Failure to notice a change in a patient’s vital signs or condition
- Failure to properly use a patient’s medical chart
- Improperly collecting blood or urine samples
- Not taking proper precautions when inserting and removing IVs
When hospitals and other care facilities cut nursing staff to save money, there can be dire consequences. Nurses with heavy workloads who are facing unrealistic expectations can make errors. These care facilities have a responsibility to ensure that nurses receive the proper training and support in order to do their jobs effectively. In addition, nurses can’t let their workload interfere with their responsibility to provide quality care to patients.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
If you have been injured as a result of a nurse’s negligence, you should have an experienced personal injury attorney evaluate your case. At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we have over 50 years of experience helping injured New Yorkers. Contact us online or call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.