A patient leaves the hospital without receiving his medication prescriptions and discharge instructions, which causes the patient to sustain physical harm. The hospital should be concerned about which of the following elements of malpractice?

1. Injury
2. Duty
3. Breach of duty
4. Causation


Injury

Rationale: Injury means that actual harm results to the patient. An example of this would be failing to provide patient education and discharge planning. Duty means care is provided according to what a prudent nurse would have done. Breach of duty is not giving the care that should be given to a patient. Causation means the patient was harmed because proper care was not given.

Nursing

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