Recently I was on an airplane when a passenger became very ill and went to the restroom. A flight attendant asked if there was any health professional available to provide help. My first thought was “Oh, no. I haven’t practiced in years! Do I really want to get involved? And, if I do, can I get sued if I try to help.” After a few quick moments, my heart went out to this poor person in need. No one else seemed to be getting up to help so I rose from seat. Fortunately, there was one … [Read more...]
The Problem with Multiple Professional Licenses
Did you know that if you have professional licenses in more than one State and an action is taken against your license in one of the two, it is most likely that an action will be taken against your license in the other State as well? Did you also know that if you have a license that is no longer active in another State, that State then can still take action against your license? These are examples of what I call, “the domino effect.” Are you wondering how these things can … [Read more...]
Are You Practicing Outside The Scope Of Your Nursing License?
As a registered nurse, do you know the scope of practice? Have you reviewed the Nurse Practice Act of your State? Even with the Nurse Practice Act, what does failure to keep abreast of current theory and practice mean? The policies and procedures of the facility at which you work are your guiding source. If your policies and procedures covers you, and you are following them, you are practicing within the scope. However, if there is no official policies and procedures, you may not be … [Read more...]
Shortcuts
Have you ever headed somewhere and took a shortcut only to wind up taking more time than had you taken the original route? Well, the same is true in nursing. Some nurses take shortcuts to expedite their work load. Shortcuts can include pre-documenting, medication administration, setting up medications early or even ordering items well before the physician arrives because you are sure the doctor will order it. All of these are very dangerous practices. I have represented nurses who asked … [Read more...]
The National Practitioner Databank and You
The National Practitioner Databank is a repository for the names of certain individuals who have had an adverse action against their license or medical malpractice verdict or settlement. Congress enacted legislation to create the Databank because of increasing occurrences of medical malpractice litigation and the need to improve quality medical care. One of the factors that pushed for the need of a National Practitioner Databank was that, for example, a physician with multiple medical … [Read more...]
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