Is It Possible To Sue A Nurse For Malpractice?

13 March 2020
 Categories: Law, Blog


When you think of medical malpractice, you might envision a doctor making a bad diagnosis or a surgeon making a bad mistake in the operating room. Your nurse isn't usually someone you would think of when it comes to things like this, but nurses absolutely can make mistakes to and that mistake could be considered malpractice in certain circumstances. If you are wondering if a recent incident meets this criteria, here are some possible scenarios that might count as malpractice.

Direct Injury

This one is pretty straightforward. Doctors might do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to operating or making a specific call on your health, but almost all doctors have a team of nurses that aid them on a daily basis. A nurse might be charged with giving you a new IV or changing your medication and so on. If the nurse is careless while trying to do their job, it's possible they could injure you with a needle, drop a piece of equipment on you while you are lying in a hospital bed, give you the wrong medication by mistake or a countless number of other potential issues. If you are directly injured by a nurse, it will be fairly easy for a good malpractice attorney to state your case.

A Failure to Report Information

Nurses are often expected to keep a close eye on patients on a daily basis while the actual doctors might only come in for a little bit of time each day to update you on your progress. Because your nurse is likely going to be around more often than a doctor while you are in the hospital, the nurse will likely be one of the first person to notice if a problem occurs with your health. Nurses have an obligation to complete an accurate file of your condition and document any changes as well as the steps they are taking to treat you. If a nurse fails to document something or otherwise doesn't let the doctor and the rest of the medical team know what's going on, this could delay your treatment or affect your health. 

The Nurse Didn't Show Up When They Were Supposed To

Nurses are normally required to give certain treatments at certain times. Hospitals can get busy of course and there might be a delay from time to time. But if you can prove that you or a loved one did not receive treatment because the nurse was too busy making a personal phone call in the hallway or otherwise neglecting their required duties, you may have a malpractice case on your hands.

Contact a medical malpractice lawyer today for more information.


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