(C3) Deposed of Safety: Liability of Failure to Implement

The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate implications and liability associated with failure to properly use or implement vascular access safety devices. 

In healthcare, a hospital provider may be legally accountable for actions that fail to meet the standard of care and are negligent, thereby causing harm to the patient. The medical liability environment is improved for patients and hospitals when there is a commitment to instituting safety, incorporating evidence-based innovation, maintaining communication, and encouraging problem-solving and resolution. The evaluation and implementation of safety devices for vascular access is an integral part of this process. This presentation will describe a fictitious case study of an adverse patient event involving a central venous catheter and the liability associated with nursing actions, failure to act, hospital responsibilities, and failure to provide adequate safety measures for the patient. Through a deposition-type point counter-point, an attorney will question the staff nurse, the director of nursing, and the administrator to discover their roles and level of responsibility for ensuring patient safety. The availability and appropriate use of safety devices for patients may, when not implemented, or implemented incorrectly, be a source of liability.