Choose scenario 1, 2, or 3 in the article. Summarize the lesson to be learned, and what you would have done to avoid the error.

Regarding the article “Stay out of court with proper documentation,” the four elements that must be proven to determine negligence are duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. In my opinion, proving causation may be the hardest among the four elements because it involves establishing a direct connection between the breach of duty and the damages suffered by the patient. This may require complex medical evidence and expert testimony to establish the cause-and-effect relationship.

If a nurse ever comes close to committing nursing negligence, my advice would be to immediately report the incident to the supervisor or appropriate authority, document the details of the incident accurately, and take steps to prevent the incident from happening again. It is important to acknowledge mistakes and take responsibility for them to prevent harm to patients.

One scenario in the article that highlights the importance of documentation and communication is Scenario 3, where a nurse fails to administer a medication and the patient’s condition worsens. The lesson to be learned from this scenario is that accurate documentation and timely communication with other healthcare providers can prevent errors and improve patient outcomes. To avoid such errors, the nurse could have double-checked the medication order, documented the reason for not administering the medication, and informed the physician of the missed dose to obtain further orders.

In addition to the article, a scholarly source that may be relevant to this topic is the book “Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professions” by Elsevier. It provides a comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical issues that healthcare professionals may face and strategies for addressing them.