One reason that a nurse could be in danger of losing their license is if they are accused of negligence. This happens when a nurse owes a duty of care to a patient and does not uphold that duty. Maybe they offer substandard care or perhaps they don’t provide any care at all.

But what does negligence look like? A nurse may disagree with a patient’s family about what took place. Perhaps the nurse works in a chaotic hospital that is constantly short-staffed. They claim they were trying to provide adequate care but simply couldn’t do it – but they weren’t acting negligently. This can lead to some significant disputes.

5 examples to consider

To see what negligence looks like, here are five common examples. A nurse could be negligent if he or she:

1. Fails to start CPR at the proper time 
2. Falls asleep while they are on duty and should be taking care of patients 
3. Does not show up for homecare visits that were on the schedule 
4. Does not do proper evaluations or assessments to see how best to care for patients when these assessments have been ordered or when they are warranted 
5. Fails to provide the proper types of treatment or medication to the patient – such as switching patient records and giving the wrong medications to each patient

When a nurse faces these allegations, it can have career-altering implications. If the nurse is found to be negligent, they could lose their license and they won’t be able to work in their chosen profession. This can be very expensive, especially when considering that they may still be paying off student loans for their medical degree. Nurses who find themselves facing these types of allegations, then, must be well aware of all of their legal options.