Many people feel incredibly comfortable when a nurse is treating them. Because of how much a nurse works with their patients, they typically have great bedside manner and have performed certain medical procedures so many times that you know you are in good hands. However, what happens when a nurse was taking care of you and something bad happened? Perhaps you got the wrong medication or the nurse missed a certain problem that caused you to become injured or caused you to develop an illness. Any situation where you leave a hospital or medical practice and you are worse can leave you concerned for your health and concerned about how you will pay additional medical bills. Below, you’ll find out more information on medical malpractice as it relates to nurses and what you can do about it.
How do nurses commit medical malpractice?
There are many ways that a nurse can commit medical malpractice. That said, it is important to remember that a nurse who makes a mistake, does not give you the desired outcome, or someone with poor bedside manner, is not necessarily committing medical malpractice. A lawyer, like a medical malpractice lawyer in Leawood, KS from a law firm like The Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, P.A. knows that medical malpractice by a nurse could come in the forms of:
- Giving the patient the wrong medication
- Failing to give the patient medication altogether
- Failing to take proper notes on the patient’s status
- Not helping the patient quickly enough when the patient called for assistance
- Not identifying an injury (like bed sores) quickly enough
When is a nurse responsible for medical malpractice?
When it comes to filing a medical malpractice claim, who you hold responsible is largely dependent on whether a nurse is a contractor at the hospital or whether they are employed by the hospital. If, for example, the nurse in question committed an error that the hospital could have prevented, you may have reason to file a medical malpractice claim against the hospital. If you speak with a lawyer and believe that the injury or illness you are suffering from falls squarely on a nurse’s shoulders, then you would work to file a medical malpractice claim against the nurse’s insurance.
What should you do when you are injured?
Filing a medical malpractice claim can be scary because there is usually a lot that you need to prove to show the nurse (or hospital) was responsible. If you would like legal assistance with your claim, please reach out to your trusted local lawyer today.