Today’s NCLEX-RN® question of the day highlights a medication safety error in which a nurse fails to use barcode scanning, resulting in patient harm. Do you know the answer? Let’s find out!
The risk management nurse is reviewing an incident with the quality improvement team where a nurse failed to use the barcode scanning system, which resulted in a patient receiving the wrong medication and becoming severely hypotensive.
The failure to scan the medication is best described by which legal term?
A. Lawsuit
B. Liability
C. Abandonment
D. Tort
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today’s NCLEX® Question is…
D. Tort
Rationale: A tort is a wrongful act or omission against another person or their property that causes injury or harm. Torts are the most common source of legal liability for nurses. If a patient experiences harm from a medication error, the nurse could be held liable in a court of law for the tort of failure to use the medication scanning system.
Main Takeaway
A tort is a wrongful act or omission against another person or their property that causes injury or harm. Torts are the most common source of legal liability for nurses.
Incorrect Answer Explanations
A. Lawsuit
Rationale: A legal claim involving two opposing parties is referred to as a lawsuit. This scenario may result in a lawsuit; however, the failure to scan the medication barcode is not a lawsuit in and of itself.
B. Liability
Rationale: Although the nurse could be held liable in a court of law for the failure to use the medication scanning system, this term does not define the action.
C. Abandonment
Rationale: Patient abandonment occurs when a nurse refuses to provide care for a patient after establishing a nurse-patient relationship. This situation does not involve abandonment.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Watch the Osmosis video: Legal issues: Nursing
Try Osmosis from Elsevier today! Access your free trial and find out why millions of current and future clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.
Leave a Reply