Nursing Law & Order

Malicious Criminal Prosecution of a RN

An article I wrote for the Journal of Nursing Administration's Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation was published this month. The title of the article is A Hospital's Malicious Criminal Prosecution of a Registered Nurse: What is the Intended and Unintended Message? October-December 2006; Vol. 8, No. 4.

This article was based on an actual Ohio case where a Hospital terminated a R.N. for allegations of patient abuse, actively worked with the prosecutor's office to seek multiple indictments (the nurse wasn't indicted by the grand jury), challenged the nurse's unemployment benefits, and the nurse grieved her termination. A complaint was filed against the nurse with the Ohio Board of Nursing however no action was taken against her license.

The nurse sued the hospital and prevailed on her claim for malicious criminal prosecution. The article is a must read for nurses employed by healthcare organizations. This RN was a charge nurse and front-line nurse manager.

Altered Standard of Care in Disasters

Does the nursing standard of care change during a natural disaster? If so, what is the standard of care?

The American Nurses Association Quadrennial Policy Conference is titled Nursing Care in Life, Death and Disaster. The date is June 20-22, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The conference "...will inform the nurisng profession, policy makers, government and other disaster planners and responders regarding reconciliation of the professional, legal, and regulatory conflicts of a diminished standard of care during a major disaster."

A Call for Abstracts is posted on the ANA website at www.nursingworld.org and abstracts are due on Friday, January 5, 2007.

It That Time of the Year!!

I love the Holiday Season! For me its a time for reflection on my personal and professional goals and how I want to be a better person in the New Year.

How can I be a better person? A better attorney? A better nurse? A better mother? A better aunt?