Which error in judgment would be the most serious for the nurse defendant in a legal case?

a. Discussing the case with the plaintiff
b. Tampering with the chart
c. Hiding information from the plaintiff's attorney
d. Being discourteous on the witness stand


B
The patient's chart is a legal document. Changing or tampering with the chart would be in viola-tion of the standards of practice, and the Nurse Practice Act and would not be considered "what a reasonable nurse would do.". The nurse is expected to perform as a reasonable nurse would. If your actions are not those of a reasonable nurse and this causes someone to be injured, you can be sued. Being discourteous on the witness stand may not be professional. It is also not appropriate to discuss the case with the plaintiff or hide information; however, tampering with the chart is a more serious error in judgment.

Nursing

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Nursing