Which term describes a nurse's failure to meet the standard of care?

Which term describes a nurse's failure to meet the standard of care?

• A. Breach of duty
• B. Duty
• C. Causation
• D. Damages

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is negligence in nursing and the specific element that shows a nurse did not meet the required standard of care. The standard of care is what a reasonably competent nurse would do in similar circumstances. A breach occurs when the nurse’s actions or inactions fall short of that standard. If a nurse has a duty to act and fails to meet the expected level of care, that is considered a breach of duty. Causation and damages are separate elements that describe whether the breach actually caused harm and what harm occurred. So, describing a nurse’s failure to meet the standard of care is best captured by breach of duty.

The key idea here is negligence in nursing and the specific element that shows a nurse did not meet the required standard of care. The standard of care is what a reasonably competent nurse would do in similar circumstances. A breach occurs when the nurse’s actions or inactions fall short of that standard. If a nurse has a duty to act and fails to meet the expected level of care, that is considered a breach of duty. Causation and damages are separate elements that describe whether the breach actually caused harm and what harm occurred. So, describing a nurse’s failure to meet the standard of care is best captured by breach of duty.