Medical Malpractice by Healthcare Professionals Other Than Doctors and Surgeons

Treatment at a hospital or other healthcare facility typically involves many more health professionals than just a doctor or surgeon. Nurses, physician assistants and therapists are just some of the professionals that may be involved in treating a patient. Regardless of title, each healthcare professional owes duties of care to his or her patients to take caution and make reasonable decisions when treating the patient.

A few weeks ago, an Indiana woman filed a lawsuit against a hospital's nurses after her husband died in the aftermath of his bypass surgery. Surgeons successfully performed a five-vessel coronary artery bypass on the man in 2007. Within 48 hours, however, the man had heart problems. The lawsuit alleges that the nursing staff failed to notify physicians of the man's complaints, failed to observe and monitor his condition and failed to follow physicians' orders.

Though most medical malpractice lawsuits target doctors and surgeons, lawsuits against other healthcare professionals have been on the rise. One of the reasons is that non- doctors often spend the most time with a patient. Busy physicians increasingly delegate responsibilities to nurses, for instance, who check up on patients and observe their conditions from day to day. If negligent medical care has harmed you or a family member, a Boston injury lawyer can help you obtain compensation for pain and suffering.

Medical Malpractice by Other Healthcare Professionals

Common medical errors by healthcare professionals besides doctors and surgeons include:

• Medication errors
• Failure to monitor a patient's condition
• Communication errors (writing down incorrect information, or failing to record vital information)
• Inappropriate delegation of duties

 

Other healthcare professionals play a vital role in a patient's treatment, as they usually are the ones who have the most contact with a patient immediately following a major surgery. Within the past several weeks, a California man sued a Nevada hospital as a result of a nurse's actions following the man's cardiac bypass surgery. After the surgery, the man was supposed to receive cardiac monitoring around the clock. Two nurses at the hospital removed the man's heart monitor for 33 minutes while they bathed him, causing him to go into cardiac arrest. The man suffered severe brain damage and is now in a vegetative state.

A follow up investigation revealed multiple issues with one of the nurses. The nurse who treated the man had a restricted license due to missing controlled substances at a hospital at which the nurse previously worked. The prior hospital also found anti-:psychotic drugs in the nurse's backpack. The Nevada hospital hired the nurse nevertheless. The nurse was subject to random drug testing, though it was not clear whether the hospital ever actually tested the nurse. Finally, Nevada performed its own investigation and determined that the victim's treatment fell below typical standards of care.

If medical malpractice has caused injury to you or a loved one, contact a Washington DC injury attorney at Pollack & Flanders, LLP to learn how you can obtain compensation.