When people in New York enter a hospital, nursing home or rehab center, they are counting on the competency of the health care professionals who care for them. When these professionals are negligent or make a mistake, the consequences can be dire. Patients have lost their lives, independence, and their careers due to a medical or nursing error.
When people hear the word malpractice
There are many different nursing mistakes that can result in a patient’s injury, trauma or death. In some cases, it can be as simple as not ensuring that a patient is able to reach their call button. Patients may attempt to get out of bed in hopes of reaching the button so they can call the nursing station. Unfortunately, this can result in an injury for a patient who is elderly, confused or unsteady on his or her feet.
Other types of mistakes may include failure to make notations about a patient’s condition on their chart, giving a patient the wrong medication or failing to carry out a physician’s orders. Nursing mistakes can be complicated by the nurse failing to recognize his or her error, or not reporting it to the nurse’s supervisor or the attending physician.
Individuals who believe that they, or a family member, have been injured by medical malpractice may benefit from speaking with a personal injury or malpractice attorney. The attorney may be able to review the client’s case and make recommendations regarding possible ways of recouping costs or receiving compensation for damages suffered in the incident.
