Nurses play an important role in patients’ medical care. Unfortunately, in some cases, a nurse’s negligent care causes a patient to suffer additional injuries instead of recovering from his illness. If your condition worsened or you suffered another injury after receiving treatment from a nurse, you may have a claim of medical malpractice against him for compensation for your injuries.
Did One of These Top Causes of Nurse Medical Malpractice Result in Your Injuries?
Nurse malpractice occurs when a nurse fails to perform his duties in the same way as a reasonably competent nurse in his situation would do—with the patient suffering harm as a result. Not every nurse’s error constitutes medical malpractice. While this type of malpractice often occurs in a hospital, it can also happen at a nursing home, doctor’s office, or a person’s home. Common ways that nurses are negligent include:
- Failing to administer medications properly. A nurse’s errors that are considered malpractice include administering the wrong medication, giving the wrong dosage, or giving the medication too early or too late. In addition, a nurse can commit malpractice by failing to recognize when a medication will cause the patient to suffer an adverse effect given other medications that he is taking.
- Failing to notify the doctor. Because a nurse is often caring for a patient more than the doctor, he is expected to notify the doctor of adverse lab results or changes in the patient’s condition. When he fails to do this, the patient may not receive the proper medical care that he needs—sometimes with life-threatening consequences. In addition, if a nurse fails to take action when a patient experiences an emergency medical condition, this may be considered negligence.
- Injuring a patient with medical equipment. Not every injury with medical equipment would be malpractice, but hitting a patient with a heavy piece of equipment, burning a patient, or leaving a medical instrument in the patient’s body during surgery could be considered negligent.
- Failing to properly inform a patient at discharge. When nurses fail to review discharge orders with patients, including medications they need to take and follow-up doctor appointments to schedule, this may amount to medical malpractice if the patient suffers injuries as a result.
Medical malpractice claims are difficult to prove, and settlement of these claims often involves litigation. If you believe a nurse’s medical malpractice caused your injuries, an experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you obtain the compensation that you deserve. To learn how we can help you fight for the compensation that you deserve, fill out our online form to schedule your free consultation.
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