Q what legal standard is used when a nurse is sued for malpractice?

A When a nurse is sued for malpractice, he or she is being sued for “negligence.” Defined in a nursing malpractice situation, negligence means the following:

Lawyers call this principle the Ordinary Reasonable Prudent person rule, and it simply means that nurses are held to this “reasonable” standard. In addition, it is important to define “ordinary or reasonable” care:

An individual can be sued for negligence without being a healthcare professional. For example, a person can be sued for negligence if he or she causes an injury to another person while operating a motor vehicle. Also, if a guest is injured on someone’s property, the property owner may be sued for negligence.

When a nurse has been named in a lawsuit for injuring a patient while he or she was on duty, such a lawsuit is for...

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