Introduction
Patient safety is a core principle in nursing, and taking the necessary precautions to protect patients from potential injury is crucial. One area of concern is the risk of liability resulting from numerous circumstances, such as a patient’s insistence on retaining priceless objects by their bedside or a patient’s family taking legal action over a particular demand. It is essential to take the proper precautions when patients refuse to give up having valuables at their bedside, like jewelry or cash, despite being told about the danger.
Nursing Safeguards Against Potential Liability
The patient should be informed of the possibility of theft or loss by hospital personnel. They should be given other options for storing valuables, such as a hospital safe or locker (Potter et al., 2022). Additionally, hospital security and employees should be informed so that they can monitor the patient’s room and possessions. Documenting the patient’s decision in the medical record can also be used to prove the patient’s decision.
Nurses must respond appropriately while ensuring the patient’s treatment is not threatened when dealing with a patient’s family member who threatens legal action over a particular demand, such as a private room. The first concern should be the patient’s medical needs; therefore, nurses should emphasize this when describing the hospital’s policies and priorities. The nurse should provide the patient with different comfort options, including a cozy chair or more blankets whenever appropriate.
The nurse should tell the proper hospital officials, including the risk management team and legal counsel, and record the request and the hospital’s answer in the patient’s medical file (Potter et al., 2022). Hence, by performing these steps, the nurse can lower the risk and guarantee that the patient’s treatment is not jeopardized.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nurses are essential to protecting patients and minimizing legal risks in the healthcare industry. Therefore, hospitals can protect themselves and their patients from potential responsibility by adopting the necessary precautions. As such, nurses and hospitals can reduce the possibility of legal action and guarantee patient safety by educating patients and their families, providing alternatives, documenting choices, and informing the relevant medical staff.
Reference
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., Hall, A., & Ostendorf, W. R. (2022). Fundamentals of Nursing (11th ed.). Elsevier.