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To: randog; motormouth
As an RN, I see Doc's like this frequently. They are a scary bunch.

Why are they allowed to continue to practice?

Could it be that nobody is filing any Q.A. reports?

If you are seeing malpractice, then it is your ethical and legal obligation as an RN to file a report about that malpractice.

Nurses Have a Duty to Report a Breach in the Standard of Care:.......... Every nurse has an ethical and legal obligation to serve as a patient advocate. Therefore nurses are obliged to report when another health care professional breaches a standard of care.

Other doctors have their own patients and practices and may have no more idea about what another doctor is doing than an RN on the Pediatric Ward knows about what an RN in the General Surgery Ward is doing.

If you see Dr. Smith committing malpractice in Room 302, you can't expect Doctor Jones in Room 507 to telepathically know about it and do something about it.

If YOU see malpractice, it is YOUR ethical and legal obligation to file a report about it with your Hospital Q.A. Committee. If the matter is not dealt with appropriately at that level, then it is YOUR ethical and legal obligation to file a report with your State Medical Licensing Q.A. Board.

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

39 posted on 05/21/2005 9:12:15 AM PDT by Polybius
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To: Polybius

Thank you for reminding me of my legal and ethical obligations. I didnt say I didnt report any of them.


42 posted on 05/21/2005 9:30:42 AM PDT by motormouth
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To: Polybius

Although I would love to "play" and debate this with you, I cant, I must go be part of the problem of giving my patients the very best I can and "play" the advocate for them...Which by the way, is my job as a nurse.


45 posted on 05/21/2005 9:57:49 AM PDT by motormouth
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To: Polybius

"If YOU see malpractice, it is YOUR ethical and legal obligation to file a report about it with your Hospital Q.A. Committee. If the matter is not dealt with appropriately at that level, then it is YOUR ethical and legal obligation to file a report with your State Medical Licensing Q.A. Board."

You are quite right. But nurses who report such incidents can be setting themselves up for a hard time in the future if the doctor they report is not fired. And possibly even if the doctor is fired. Doctors are considered "untouchable".


55 posted on 05/21/2005 10:46:22 AM PDT by ArmedNReady
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To: Polybius
If you are seeing malpractice, then it is your ethical and legal obligation as an RN to file a report about that malpractice.

Bwaaa Ha Haa!! That is funny. You are joking? Right?

66 posted on 05/21/2005 1:04:05 PM PDT by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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