Expertise
Critical Care Nursing – High Risk Practice
Critical care nurses take care of some of our sickest patients. They practice in a high risk environment – both clinically and in terms of litigation. We take critical care nursing for granted, but they were not always among us. Critical care nursing in the United States began with the recognition that specialty nursing was…
Read MoreNursing Standard of Care: Just following orders? Part 2
In part 1 of this blog, I shared facts to analyze the standard of care. I described a case of a man seen in the ER. The patient had a significant change in his condition on discharge, yet was sent home anyway and subsequently died. Did the ER nurse meet the nursing standard of care?…
Read MoreNursing Standard of Care: Just following orders? Part 1
I have had the questioned posed to me by an attorney in a deposition (on more than one occasion), “So you think you know more than the doctor”? The nurses’ responsibility does not end with blindly following a physician’s order. I have personally testified at 3 depositions and was asked this question at 2 of…
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions about Nursing Expert Review
Nursing expert witnesses play a crucial role in resolving nursing malpractice cases. Here are some common questions. My nursing expert review records are a mess I got the records directly from the law firm. They are a mess. What should I do? It is difficult to review records that are not organized. Make every effort…
Read MoreIndex of Medical Records: A Key to Success
You are an expert witness or a legal nurse consultant who sends medical records to an expert witness. An up-to-date index of medical records is a key to success. It helps both the expert and the attorneys quickly determine which records an expert has received. How to create an index of medical records Avery produces…
Read MoreNursing Expert Witness – Arrogance
Have you encountered an arrogant nursing expert witness? I did. You need a highly credentialed expert witness for a case. You supply experts. You form impressions about experts when you talk with them. Don’t refer experts who don’t get past your screening. One recent phone call left an impression on me. Our client asked us…
Read MoreAir Embolism – Deadly Result of Patient Abandonment
This is a case of an air embolism. Twenty-three year old Natalie B. was born physically and mentally handicapped. One afternoon, an employee of defendant MedLink of Ohio, a home healthcare company, took Natalie to the defendant Uni¬versity Hospitals of Cleveland for dialysis treatment. The employee then left while Natalie had the treatment. During the…
Read MoreExpert Witness Discredited
An expert witness’ secret had a devastating effect on a case; the result – a discredited expert witness. Sally Signal was a retired head nurse of an operating room. She was used to being in charge and had a headstrong personality. She went into the hospital for signs of a possible stroke. She had a…
Read MoreEmergency Medical Services: Was There a Duty to a Person Not a Patient?
An attorney client asked me about the emergency medical services’ liability. The mobile intensive care unit staffed by an EMT and nurse was called to the home of Loretta and her daughter, Erin. The daughter had a seizure at home. The ambulance driver encouraged Loretta to come along in the ambulance to the hospital. Loretta…
Read MoreElder Abuse Cases: How the Legal Nurse Consultant Can Help
Attorneys involved in litigating elder abuse cases may benefit from the help of a legal nurse consultant. Your ability to interpret medical records helps your clients investigate these types of elder abuse cases. Here is handy guide to elder abuse cases terms. Neglect as the foundation of elder abuse cases: when an elder does not…
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