Progressive Care Nursing Certification (PCCN) Practice Exam

What essential element of litigation describes a nurse's responsibility to their patient?

1. Negligence

2. Causation

3. Proximal cause

4. Duty

The correct answer is: Negligence

The essential element of litigation that specifically describes a nurse's responsibility to their patient is duty. In the context of nursing, duty refers to the obligation that nurses have to provide care that meets the standard expected of a reasonably competent nurse in similar circumstances. This encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including maintaining patient safety, providing appropriate treatment, and ensuring effective communication with both patients and the healthcare team. When a nurse has a duty to the patient, it establishes the foundation for accountability in care delivery. If a nurse fails to fulfill this duty, it can lead to allegations of negligence, where it is argued that the nurse's actions (or lack thereof) directly impacted the patient's well-being. While negligence, causation, and proximal cause are all important concepts in understanding the legal implications of nursing practice, they are more about the consequences and relationships between actions and outcomes rather than the fundamental responsibility that a nurse has toward their patient.