Malpractice Case Study
Malpractice CaseStudy: Thereare no absolute answers with some of questions – they are mean tostimulate discussion and examination of complexissues.
Madison Wills worked night shift on aneonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a major medical center. Sheassumed the care of a very sick premature infant that weighed 1kilogram (a little over 2 pounds). Sylvia Smithson had been theinfant’s nurse during the day shift. Sylvia had initiated theinfant’s intravenous (IV) antibiotic infusion at 6:30 p.m., justbefore shift change. She reported that the infant’s IV line in hisarm was patent and the IV site had no redness or swelling.
When Madison assessed the infant at7:45 after the end-of-shift report, she noted that the baby’s armwas swollen and that the IV had infiltrated (was no longer in thevein). When she stopped the infusion, she also noted that the doseon the antibiotics was incorrect and was much too large for a verysmall infant.
- What is the first thing that Madison should do afterdiscovering these two problems?
- Which of these problems (the infiltration or thedosing) was the most significant?
- What is the nurse’s responsibility when an antibioticis prepared by the pharmacy?
- What safeguards are in place to protect nurses fromcharges of negligence?
