Question

A nurse witnesses a traffic accident in which a child is badly hurt. The nurse dresses the open wounds sustained by the child. The family tries to give a monetary compensation, which the nurse refuses. Later in the hospital, the child develops complications due to infection in the wound. The family holds the nurse responsible for the complications and wants to file a lawsuit. Which of the following statements is true regarding the Good Samaritan law?

A) It protects healthcare professionals from all legal action
B) It exempts healthcare professionals from liability in emergency situations
C) It holds healthcare professionals accountable for any outcome
D) It only applies to medical doctors in emergency situations

Answer 1

The Good Samaritan law exempts healthcare professionals from liability in emergency situations as long as they do not act with gross negligence and work within the scope of their training.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Good Samaritan law pertains to the protection of those who provide aid in an emergency situation to an injured person. In the scenario presented, where a nurse dressed the wounds of a child hurt in a traffic accident, statement B is correct.

The Good Samaritan law exempts healthcare professionals from liability in emergency situations, provided they acted voluntarily, without gross negligence, and within the scope of their training. This means that healthcare professionals are generally not held legally responsible for the outcome of their emergency aid, although specifics can vary by jurisdiction.

It is important to understand that the Good Samaritan law does not protect healthcare professionals from all legal action (statement A), or hold them accountable for any outcome (statement C), and it is not limited only to medical doctors in emergency situations (statement D).