TERCAP proposal
Determine strategies that minimize legal risks in nursing practice related to negligence and malpractice.
Scenario
The Board of Nursing in your state has decided to utilize a tool developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing called the Taxonomy of Error, Root Cause Analysis Practice- Responsibility (TERCAP). Your nurse manager has provided you with a summary of the completed TERCAP report by your Board of Nursing’s Disciplinary Action Committee. She has asked you to review this summary and to develop a proposal of suggestions for continuing education topics on ways to minimize legal risks for your hospital’s practicing nurses. The nurse educators will develop an education series based upon your recommendations.
Instructions
Prepare a proposal based on the summary of the TERCAP with recommendations and suggestions on minimizing legal risks that:
Sample Solution
After reviewing the summary of the TERCAP report provided by our Board of Nursing’s Disciplinary Action Committee, I identified several key areas in which continuing education could help minimize legal risks for practicing nurses within our facility. Firstly, it is essential that all staff members are aware of their role and responsibility as a healthcare provider – in both practice and documentation. As such, I recommend incorporating courses focused on aspects such as efficacy in communication, delegation skills, and demonstrating critical thinking when making decisions about patient care (Baker et al., 2019). Additionally, creating instructional materials to be shared among staff which specifically address issues such as scope of practice and changing standards will further enhance professionals’ understanding of their responsibilities while providing protection from potential legal action (Fitzpatrick & Knapp-Carithers, 2017).
In order to reduce potential liability due to improper documentation on behalf or omission of necessary actions during care provision; educational sessions aimed at teaching correct charting procedures should be implemented. Such courses might include modules pertaining to documenting treatments accurately and consistently over time – with an emphasis placed upon avoiding ambiguous language (Welcomer et al., 2018). Furthermore, introducing instruction related to recognizing errors made by oneself or others throughout patient care delivery can help foster a culture in which mistakes can be quickly identified and remedied accordingly (Meyers & Oermann, 2017). Lastly, it would also be beneficial for nursing staff to undergo training pertaining to how best handle difficult conversations with patients/families surrounding topics including diagnosis disclosure and prognosis discussions – so that any misunderstandings or inappropriate statements are avoided entirely.
Overall, my proposal includes recommendations for various continuing education topics meant to assist nursing practitioners in successfully navigating legal risks associated with providing healthcare services. From enhancing abilities related to communication/delegation skills while also offering instruction regarding proper documentation methods – these subject areas will equip staff with an improved understanding of their roles as well as knowledge concerning how best avoid unnecessary litigation going forward.
