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Nursing negligence when new on the job

On Behalf of | Jan 30, 2017 | Nursing Negligence |

In every new job, a person is bound to make mistakes. However, in the medical profession, those mistakes could have deadly consequences. Since nurses in Chicago are often responsible for the routine care of patients, they must be particularly careful to avoid errors. This may be difficult when a nurse is new on the job, nervous and perhaps unused to the long, demanding hours. Nevertheless, careful attention to detail may help new nurses avoid mistakes that could lead to nursing negligence claims.

Nearly one third of nursing mistakes, whether by veterans or novices, involves dispensing medication. Whether it is giving the wrong medication or the wrong dose, prescription errors can have fatal consequences. Nurses admit that these common mistakes often take place when a nurse is not paying close attention to patient identifiers, chart details and updated vital signs, among other things. Inaccuracy in charting is another error that can cause a chain reaction of devastating consequences.

One serious issue hospitals contend with is the spread of infection. Since nurses are often in constant contact with many patients in an average shift, the practice of good hygiene is vital. Nurses who neglect to wash their hands or follow hygiene protocol risk spreading infection and delaying patient recovery.

New and inexperienced nurses require extensive training and supervision. If a hospital or medical center is understaffed, new nurses may be left to fend for themselves. However, common sense precautions such as attention to detail and careful hygiene can prevent many negative events. Chicago patients who have suffered from the results of nursing negligence have recourse through the skilled legal counsel of a medical malpractice attorney.

Source: nursejournal.org, “The 5 Most Common Mistakes Made By New Nurses“, Accessed on Jan. 27, 2017

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