Question

The patient has a central venous line. The registered nurse (RN) delegates changing the sterile dressing over the line to a nursing assistant. The nursing assistant does not understand sterile technique and contaminates the dressing. An infection develops in the patient. The nurse manager discusses the action of the RN. Which statement is correct regarding the nurse's action?

a. The nursing assistant is guilty of malpractice.
b. The nurse is responsible for the acts delegated.
c. The hospital cannot be held responsible for the act of its employees.
d. No harm came to the patient, so a malpractice suit cannot be claimed.

Answer 1

The nurse is responsible for the acts delegated and could be held responsible for the resulting harm to the patient.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement regarding the nurse's action is b. The nurse is responsible for the acts delegated.

When a registered nurse delegates a task to a nursing assistant, the nurse remains responsible for the task and any outcomes that result from it. This includes ensuring that the nursing assistant understands and follows proper procedures, such as sterile technique in this case.

In this scenario, the nurse delegated the task of changing the sterile dressing over the central venous line to a nursing assistant who did not understand sterile technique and contaminated the dressing. As a result, an infection developed in the patient. The nurse is accountable for the actions of the nursing assistant and could be held responsible for the resulting harm to the patient.