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Understanding Malpractice
Because nurses are assuming an ever-widening list of patient-care responsibilites, it isn't surprising that many are anxious about the possibility of facing a lawsuit one day. Before learning the specific steps on avoiding a lawsuit, a nurse needs to understand what negligence and malpractice is.

Negligence usually defined as a failure to exercise the degree of care that a person of the same status would exercise under the same circumstances.
Malpractice is a more restricted, specialized kind of negligence. It's defined as a violation of professional duty, failure to meet a standard of care, or failure to use the skills and knowledge of other professionals in similar circumstances.

Steps to keep you legally safe.
- Know your own strengths and weaknesses. Don't accept responsibilty that you aren't prepared for.
- Refuse assignments you can't preform safely.
- Delegate safely. Exercise great care when delgating duties because you may be held responsible for those under you.
- Get clear orders. Never treat a patient without orders except in an emergency. Don't carry out an order from a health care provider if you have any doubt about its accuracy or appropiateness.
- Be particularly careful with medications. Medication errors are the most common and potentially the most dangerous of nursing errors. Mistakes in dosage, patient identification, or drug selection by nurses have led to vision loss, brain damage, cardiac arrest, and death.
- Stay on your patient's good side. Always remain calm.
- Don't offer opinions stick to the facts.
- Before you sign....read! Never sign your name as a witness without fully understanding what you're signing.
- Be familar with advanced directives. They may have a DNR, living will, or durable power of attorney. You need to know this.
- Provide a safe environment. Don't use faulty equipment. If a person is a two person transfer, don't transfer them by yourself. Follow guidelines of care. Use evidence-based nursing care.