Case Study: Alleged failure to properly assess and monitor the impaired, restrained patient and failure to provide proper care in a safe environment

The patient (plaintiff) was brought to the emergency room where he was well-known to the emergency department staff. He was intoxicated, agitated and aggressive. His behaviors limited the nurse (defendant) and other emergency department staff from completing a comprehensive initial assessment. For the patient's safety, four point physical restraints were ordered and the defendant nurse requested that security staff apply the restraints per hospital protocol. According to that protocol, the restraint procedure required that security staff also perform a check of the patient's person for contraband. Read the Full Case with Risk Management Recommendations

Read Previous Issues of the NSO Special Edition Legal Case Study: Nurse Edition

• Case Study: Improper insertion of intravenous access; Failure to properly administer intravenous Mitomycin; Failure to properly monitor Mitomycin infusion resulting in injury, deformity and permanent loss of function of plaintiff's right hand

• Case Study: Failure to Adequately Assess and Monitor the Patient Post Operatively Resulting in the Patient's Death

• Case Study: Failure to Report Patient's Deteriorating Condition to the Attending Physician and Administration of Anxiolytic Medication in the Presence of Respiratory Distress

• Case Study: Medication Administration Error and Failure to Monitor

Case Study: Failure to timely diagnose brain tumor; Failure to obtain physician consultation; Failure to facilitate timely referral to neurologist

The pediatric nurse practitioner (defendant) was employed by a pediatrician to render care and treatment to patients in his private office practice. The infant patient (plaintiff) was born with no complications twenty-one days prior to his first well-baby examination by the defendant's physician employer (co defendant). The codefendant identified mild jaundice and a possible diagnosis of failure to thrive. Read the Full Case with Risk Management Recommendations

Read Previous Issues of the NSO Special Edition Legal Case Study: Nurse Nurse Practitioner Edition

• Case Study: Case Study: Alleged Failure to Obtain Proper Medical History; Improper Medical Clearance; Improper Management of Anticoagulant Medication; Failure to Communicate with the Referring Surgeon; Failure to Properly Document Clinical Findings; Failure to Provide Proper Patient Instructions for Preoperative Management of Coumadin Therapy; and Failure to Order an Appropriate Coumadin Substitute

• Case Study: Improper Technique, Improper Assessment and Treatment of Hematoma; Failure to Notify the Physician and Intensive Care Staff of the Need for Close Monitoring of Hematoma and Patient Condition.

• Case Study: Failure to Properly Assess Patient; Failure to Properly Monitor Patient's Vital Signs and Intake/Output; Failure to Recognize and Respond to Signs and Symptoms of Sepsis; Failure to Communicate with the Patient's Physician; and Failure to Direct the Patient to Emergency Care

• Case Study: Failure to Assess Resident and Failure to Inform the Physician of Resident's Unstable Condition

April 2012 Legal Case Study