Most discussions on medical malpractice focus on doctors and hospitals. However, those two parties are not the only ones who can harm you via their negligence. Since nurses also play a big role in patient treatment, the nurses can also cause you critical injuries if they are negligent while handling your case. If that happens, then the responsible nurse should be held liable for the damages just as a doctor would be. Below are some examples of nursing malpractice.
Inaction
Malpractice is not just about doing the wrong thing; it is also about failing to do anything when it is required. For example, a nurse who notices signs of a medical emergency on a patient they are monitoring, but fails to notify the doctor or do anything, is guilty of medical malpractice. In this case, you need to prove that the nurse noticed or should have noticed the danger, and they didn't take any action.
Equipment Mishandling
Nurses use multiple equipment and tools in their line of work. Mishandling of any of these things can result in patient injury, triggering a malpractice case. For example, a nurse might knock over the patient monitoring system and cause injury to a patient. Another example is if a nurse accidentally disconnects a drug administering tube, leaving a patient without medication.
Improper Medication
Administration of drugs is one of the core duties of nurses, and they are trained for it. Therefore, administering improper medication is a classic example of nursing malpractice. An example is if a nurse gives you the wrong dosage of medicine. Another example is if a nurse mistakes you from another patient and gives you medicine meant for that patient.
Negligent Delegation
Nurses sometimes have more work than they can or want to handle. Some of the nurses deal with this problem by delegating some of the work to other people, such as nursing aides or even non-medical professionals. If such delegation is not properly handled or the person is not equipped for the tasks, they might make a mistake and harm the patient. In such a case, the nurse who delegated the task might be held liable for the damages.
Although a nurse might be liable for the damages or injuries they cause, the nurse might not be the only party liable for your damages. Other parties, such as the hospital or the doctor, might share some of the blame. If you are dealing with such an injury, consult a personal injury lawyer to help you identify all the liable parties and pursue your dames.