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The charge nurse in a progressive care unit assigns the care of a patient receiving hemodialysis to a newly hired licensed practical nurse (LPN) without checking to see that the nurse has been determined competent to care for hemodialysis patients. The LPN is in orientation and fails to inform the charge nurse that she does not have experience with this type of patient. The actions of the charge nurse would be considered to be which of the following?

1) Malpractice
2) Incompetence
3) Negligence
4) Abandonment

User MaggsWeb
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The charge nurse's actions in assigning the care of a hemodialysis patient to an inexperienced LPN without checking her competencies is considered negligence, which can endanger patient safety.Hence, option 3 is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The actions of the charge nurse in this scenario would be considered to be negligence. Negligence in nursing refers to the failure to act as a reasonably prudent nurse would under similar circumstances, resulting in harm to a patient. In this case, the charge nurse failed to confirm that the newly hired LPN was competent in providing care for a hemodialysis patient, which is a specialized field that typically requires additional training and direct supervision of a registered nurse. Furthermore, the LPN also neglected her duty by not informing the charge nurse of her lack of experience. Hemodialysis technicians, as well as LPNs working with these patients, should have the necessary knowledge to review patients' histories, assess their current conditions, respond to needs during treatment, and handle the equipment required for providing dialysis treatments. In this case, assigning the LPN without verifying her competence endangered the patient's safety.

User Ganymede
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