Question

The nurse is caring for a client who experienced an anaphylactic reaction to a medication. The nurse did not ask the client about allergies prior to administering the medication. Which statement is true regarding this nurse​'s ​actions?

>The nurse committed an act of​ negligence, but not malpractice.
>The nurse committed acts of negligence and malpractice
>The nurse committed negligence due to a failure to communicate.
>The nurse committed​ malpractice, but not an act of negligence.

Answer 1

The nurse committed both negligence and malpractice by failing to ask about allergies before administering the medication, thus causing harm to the patient and breaching the duty of care as per the principle of nonmaleficence.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question at hand revolves around the professional responsibilities of a nurse who administered medication to a patient without first inquiring about allergies. Given this context, the correct statement is: The nurse committed acts of negligence and malpractice. This is true because not asking about allergies is a failure to adhere to the standard of care, leading to patient harm. The principle of nonmaleficence, a cornerstone of medical ethics, commands healthcare professionals to not cause harm, and the nurse's actions violated this principle by exposing the patient to a known risk. In such a scenario, malpractice pertains to professional misconduct or failure to meet the standard of care in the profession, while negligence refers to the breach of the nurse's duty of care that resulted in harm.