Fairfax, VA Nurse Malpractice Attorney

Skilled Nursing Malpractice Attorneys Protecting Injured Patients in Fairfax, Virginia

Nurses play important roles in providing care for patients. In hospitals, medical offices, and other healthcare facilities, nurses are often the medical providers who spend the most time with patients, carry out treatment plans, administer medications, monitor changing conditions, and serve as the critical link between patients and doctors. When a nurse fails to meet their responsibilities correctly, patients can suffer serious and lasting consequences.

Nursing malpractice can be just as harmful as doctor malpractice or other forms of medical malpractice. When a nurse's negligence causes a patient to suffer harm, the patient may need to take steps to hold the nurse and their employer legally accountable. At Shevlin Smith, P.C., our lawyer can help address injuries caused by negligent nurses. He will provide clients with the care and attention they need during a medical malpractice claim, working to ensure that they will be compensated for the injuries they have experienced due to negligent care.

Ways Nursing Negligence Can Harm Patients

Medication Errors

The administration of medications is one of the most important responsibilities of nurses. They are required to follow the proper procedures when preparing and administering medications, including verifying a patient's identity, confirming that the medication and dose are correct, checking for allergies and harmful drug interactions, and documenting the administration of medications.

When a nurse fails to follow the right procedures, severe injuries can occur. Administering a medication to the wrong patient can cause harm to that patient while leaving the intended patient without the treatment they needed. Providing too much or too little of a medication can cause an overdose or fail to treat a condition correctly. Giving a medication through the wrong route, such as by delivering a drug through an IV when it should have been given orally, can affect how quickly a medication will act.

Nurses are also responsible for monitoring patients after administering medications. They will need to watch for expected effects and signs of adverse reactions. A nurse who fails to recognize and respond to the signs of a harmful reaction to a medication can put a patient's health at risk.

Failure to Monitor Patients

In hospitals and other inpatient facilities, nurses are responsible for monitoring patients, including checking their vital signs, evaluating wound sites and IVs, observing their overall health status, and responding to symptoms reported by patients.

When a nurse fails to check a patient's vital signs, the person's condition may deteriorate and progress without the appropriate interventions. If a nurse fails to regularly assess the site where surgery was recently performed, a patient may develop a wound infection or another type of complication. Failures in monitoring could also lead to issues such as infections at IV sites.

Failure to Respond to Health Concerns

A nurse will need to take the right steps to address issues that they have observed. If a nurse notices a change in a patient's vital signs but does not act to address this issue, or if a nurse fails to respond to serious symptoms reported by a patient or family member, a patient's condition may become worse.

Failure to Communicate with Physicians and the Care Team

Nurses serve as a critical link between a patient and physicians, specialists, and other members of the team responsible for the patient's overall treatment. A nurse who observes a significant change in a patient's condition, identifies a potential complication, or receives concerning information from the patient will need to communicate that information to other members of the care team quickly. When a nurse fails to notify a doctor about a patient's deteriorating condition, delays in reporting the results of laboratory tests, or fails to ensure that other members of a team are aware of a patient's allergies, this may affect the patient's ability to receive appropriate treatment.

Failure to Protect the Safety of Patients

Nurses are required to take steps to protect patients from suffering harm, including by preventing falls. A nurse who does not take the proper steps to prevent falls or provide assistance when needed may fail to protect a patient from harm that could have been prevented.

Failure to Advocate for Patients

One of the most important roles that nurses play is as an advocate for the well-being of patients. When a nurse identifies issues that could affect a patient's health, such as an incorrect order by a doctor, the nurse is required to speak up and take steps to resolve the issue. Patients can suffer harm if nurses carry out orders that they knew would be harmful without raising concerns with doctors or other staff members.

Contact Our Fairfax, Virginia Nurse Malpractice Lawyer

Negligence by nurses can be a serious issue that can affect the quality of care that patients receive. When nurses do not follow the right procedures, patients may suffer injuries that could affect their health and well-being for years to come. At Shevlin Smith, P.C., our lawyer can help identify malpractice by nurses and make sure a patient will be able to receive compensation that will address the injuries that have occurred. Contact our Fairfax nursing malpractice attorney at 703-591-0067 to arrange a free consultation.