Medical Liability Consultants, Inc. Glossary Medical Malpractice

Nursing Mistakes Every year, thousands of people in the Unites States suffer serious injury or death due to nursing mistakes. According to the Institute of Medicine, medical errors including nursing mistakes kill 44,000 to 98,000 hospitalized patients every year. Why do nursing mistakes occur? There are a number of reasons why nursing mistakes are on the rise. There is a shortage of registered nurses in the U.S., which means that nurses are spread too thin. The working conditions required of nurses in hospitals have increased on-the-job pressure. Nurses are often overworked and underpaid . They are typically required to work overtime, which can result in serious nursing mistakes. According to a 2004 report in the journal of Health Affairs, the occurrence of nursing mistakes are three times higher after a shift has extended past 12.5 hours . Sixteen-hour work shifts are usually mandatory for nurses. In addition, in some hospitals, unlicensed or unregulated nurse aides provide care to patients, potentially leading to fatal nursing mistakes. In addition to these risks, negligence is a major cause of nursing mistakes. A nurse may fail to take the proper steps to ensure a patient's health and well being. Such nursing mistakes can result in serious injury or illness to a patient. Common types of nursing mistakes Nursing mistakes can involve any of the following: Dispensing wrong medication Dispensing wrong dose of medication Giving a medication to the wrong patient Failing to monitor patient's condition Failing to follow physician's orders as to the care required Performing medical procedures without proper training Delaying vital care for hours More Unfortunately, these nursing mistakes can oftentimes lead to serious injury, illness, or death to a patient.

Welcome   |   About us   |   Services   |   Contact us   |   Questionnaire   |   Example of cases   |   Glossary   |   Confidentiality