Question

21. A nurse places a heating pad on the lower leg of a patient with peripheral vascular disease. When the heating pad is removed, it is apparent that the patient has sustained partial-thickness burns to the area covered by the pad, and the nurse is sued for malpractice. Which statement is true?

a. All elements are present to find the nurse liable for damages.
b. Proximate cause cannot be established, so the nurse will not be found liable.
c. The standard of care in such a situation cannot be established, so the nurse will not be found liable.
d. No duty to the patient exists, so the nurse will not be held liable.

Answer 1

The nurse will be found liable for damages in this malpractice lawsuit.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is a. All elements are present to find the nurse liable for damages.

In this scenario, the nurse placed a heating pad on a patient with peripheral vascular disease, resulting in partial-thickness burns to the area covered by the pad. To establish liability for malpractice, four elements must be present: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. In this case, the nurse had a duty to the patient to provide proper care and prevent harm. By placing a heating pad without adequate monitoring or precautions, the nurse breached that duty. The causation is established by the direct connection between the nurse's actions and the patient's burns. Finally, the damages are evident as the patient sustained partial-thickness burns. Therefore, all elements are present to find the nurse liable for damages.