Question: I am the charge nurse at a medical inpatient unit of a hospital. I work with registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) but now the hospital has announced there will be a health-care aide (HCA) on our unit. She will be replacing one of the LPNs. As the charge nurse, I will…
Read MoreQuestion: A nurse working in primary care receives a “friend” request on her Facebook site from someone with a familiar-sounding name. The picture accompanying the request is of a lakeside sunset, so she cannot tell who sent the request. Because the name sounds familiar, she accepts the request. After going through the requestor’s profile, she…
Read MoreQuestion: Lately, I have been using my personal smartphone to text updates to physicians regarding patients. Is this practice acceptable? Answer: Mobile devices offer nurses and other healthcare professionals a convenient, user-friendly way to communicate with each other. Texting is fast, direct and simplifies the pager system that hospitals and other health care organizations have…
Read MoreGood communication is essential to good health care. In most Canadian lawsuits against doctors and hospitals, there was a breakdown in communication with the patient.1 In a British Columbia case, for example, the Court found that the nurse’s failure to ask more questions of a person seeking telephone advice was negligent, saying, “Her fault lies…
Read MoreIn the face of scarce human health resources, amalgamation of health services, and changing demographics, some hospitals have made the difficult decision to close their emergency departments, temporarily or permanently. Communications to this effect would then be made widely to the public by the hospital or regional health authority. Consequently, emergency room staff could be…
Read MoreMost Canadian provinces and territories have enacted legislative protection for those who apologize for their actions. British Columbia was the first to bring in an Apology Act in 2006, with others following suit quickly afterwards. Some provinces enacted a statute called the Apology Act, whereas others amended existing legislation, e.g. an Evidence Act, to include…
Read MoreIn the nursing profession, patient advocacy is usually discussed within an ethical framework. Is there a corresponding legal duty? Canadian court decisions have recognized the existence of a legal nursing duty to obtain proper care for patients, even when this requires nurses to seek assistance outside the usual treatment team (i.e. by speaking to someone…
Read MoreSocial media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, YouTube, and LinkedIn allow us to communicate in real-time with “friends”, “followers” or the public. Nurses may use these sites as research and educational tools, for information sharing and as a way to network or socialize. Understanding the legal considerations involved in using social…
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