The primary problems that led to the malpractice suits in the article by Croke (2006) were:

• Breach of duty: The nurses in both cases breached their duty to their patients by failing to provide adequate care.
• Failure to assess the patient: In the first case, the nurse failed to assess the patient’s condition properly, which led to the patient’s death.
• Failure to communicate: In the second case, the nurse failed to communicate the patient’s concerns to the surgeon, which resulted in the patient undergoing surgery on the wrong side of the body.

In the first case, the nurse, Lunsford, was assigned to care for a patient named Mr. Floyd, who was in the emergency room with chest pain and shortness of breath. Lunsford assessed Mr. Floyd’s condition and determined that he was stable. However, Lunsford failed to recognize the seriousness of Mr. Floyd’s condition, and he did not notify the physician of Mr. Floyd’s symptoms. As a result, Mr. Floyd’s condition deteriorated and he died.

In the second case, the nurse, Muskopf, was assigned to care for a patient named Ms. Muskopf, who was scheduled to have surgery on her left hand. Muskopf told Muskopf that she was concerned that the surgery was being performed on the wrong hand. However, Muskopf failed to communicate Ms. Muskopf’s concerns to the surgeon. As a result, Ms. Muskopf underwent surgery on her right hand instead of her left hand.

Role of the nurse:

The role of the nurse is to provide care and support to patients. Nurses are responsible for assessing patients’ conditions, implementing nursing care plans, and communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals.

What the nurse did wrong:

In the first case, the nurse, Lunsford, failed to properly assess the patient’s condition and failed to notify the physician of the patient’s symptoms.

In the second case, the nurse, Muskopf, failed to communicate the patient’s concerns to the surgeon.

Implications for nursing practice:

The malpractice suits in Croke’s article highlight the importance of nurses following nursing standards of care and fulfilling their duty to patients. Nurses must properly assess patients’ conditions, communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals, and implement nursing care plans that meet the needs of their patients.

Nurses can avoid malpractice suits by:

• Following nursing standards of care
• Properly assessing patients’ conditions
• Communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals
• Implementing nursing care plans that meet the needs of their patients
• Documenting their care thoroughly

Conclusion:

The primary problems that led to the malpractice suits in Croke’s article were breach of duty, failure to assess the patient, and failure to communicate. Nurses can avoid malpractice suits by following nursing standards of care, properly assessing patients’ conditions, communicating with patients and other healthcare professionals, and implementing nursing care plans that meet the needs of their patients.