Nursing Standard of Care Violations

By James Witherspoon
Like all medical professionals, nurses are held to a high standard when it comes to providing safe, responsible care to patients. In legal terms, the guidelines that govern a nurse's professional conduct are known as standards of care. These guidelines are set by the nursing board in each state and all licensed nurses must meet these guidelines in order to practice nursing. When a nurse is suspected of violating the standard of care, she or he may be investigated by the state board of nursing to determine whether the nurse is guilty of violations, and if so, what disciplinary action should be taken.

Types of Violations

When a patient or another medical staff member suspects a nurse of a standard of care violation, she or he may report the infraction to the state board of nursing, which investigates licensing violations. Typically, standard of care violations are divided into two different types of nursing malpractice:

* Negligence: When a nurse puts a patient at unreasonable risk that is not typical for the procedure, causing harm to the patient.
* Lack of Informed Consent: Failing to fully inform a patient of the details of a procedure, including its benefits and risks, before performing it.

A single standard of care violation can have serious implications for a nurse's career. If the breach is deemed to be serious enough, the nurse in question may even lose her or his license to practice.

Defending Your Case

Every nurse has the right to retain a lawyer and defend herself or himself in a license violation investigation. Because state boards of nursing regularly oversee these types of investigations, they can be quick to assume that the nurse is at fault without properly reviewing all of the evidence. Retaining an experienced nursing license defense lawyer can help to ensure that all proper procedures are followed throughout your investigation and can help to maximize your chances of uphold your nursing licensure.