| As a nurse it has become an important necessity to | | | | In order to protect you from malpractice suits, |
| be aware of the legal aspects associated with caring | | | | nurses must take as many precautions as they can |
| and helping people in the health industry today. | | | | during their daily shifts. Recording, documenting and |
| Unfortunately, the more and more negligence cases | | | | reporting your daily routines and decisions is one of |
| there are the less and less people want to get into | | | | the most common ways to make sure you are on |
| the health care field fearing legal aspects and the | | | | track with your patience and in the right. Nurses learn |
| inevitable law suites. The first nursing law created | | | | in school that proper care of a patient is not only |
| was that of nursing registration in 1903 and they | | | | making the right decisions but maintaining and |
| have only evolved and expanded over the years to | | | | organizing their medical records and reports efficiently. |
| create a thick book which must be studied today by | | | | Any nurse who is not able to provide written proof |
| aspiring nurses. | | | | of their decisions and why that decision was reached |
| The Tort Law is the legal aspects of the law that | | | | will no doubt be charged with nurses' negligence and |
| most nurses are more familiar with. This is the law | | | | risks being seen in front of a court. |
| that involved malpractice and negligence cases which | | | | The legal aspects of nursing are taught and expected |
| many nurses take the time to learn inside and out as | | | | to be kept up on throughout every nurse's career. |
| this is one of the biggest fears in the medical | | | | Employment as a nurse does not only require a |
| community. Basically a Tort is a wrongful act which | | | | nursing degree but knowledge of the medical laws |
| produces harm, whether it is unintentional or | | | | that will apply to you should there is a |
| intentional. Malpractice is a specific type of Tort | | | | misunderstanding or challenge by a patient or their |
| where the standards of care are not met. This is one | | | | family. A nursing job is something many young people |
| of the most common and familiar laws to nurses and | | | | aspire to but without the legal knowledge behind |
| something that nurses and doctors alike must be | | | | them, many hospitals will not hire them now that legal |
| familiar with in order to continue their care efficiently. | | | | issues are becoming more and more problematic. |