Question

At the end of a shift, a labor and delivery nurse leaves a woman in labor before the nurse's replacement arrives. what kind of negligence does this constitute?

Answer 1

The answer to the question above is ABANDONMENT. This is the kind of negligence that the labor and delivery nurse made when she left the patient in labor before the replacement nurse arrives. Patient abandonment happens when the health care provider (e.g. nurse) terminates the provision of care despite the continuous care that the patient needs. Because once the health care provider starts the provision of care, he or she should continue this care until the patient stabilizes or recovers. This kind of negligence is stated in the code of ethics for health care professionals.