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Article: Nurses failed to `advocate' for their patient. (Nursing Law Case of the Month).(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Nursing Law's Regan Report
- Article date:
- January 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Medical Law Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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CASE ON POINT: Rowe v. Sisters of Pallottine Missionary Society, 2001 WL 1585453 S.E.2d -WV
ISSUE: Ordinarily nurses are not in a position to question physicians' orders. However, there are exceptions! There are some cases in which not only do nurses have a "right" to question physicians' orders, but they have an absolute "duty" to immediately report to their superiors whenever they are convinced that there has been a failure to make an appropriate diagnosis or render appropriate treatment. The failure of nurses to act as "patient's advocates" may result in liability not only for nurses' employers (as was the situation in this case) but could result in liability ...