A community/public health nurse was assigned to care for a home care client whose condition was constantly worsening.Because of overwhelming work issues,the community/public health nurse asked a licensed practical nurse (LPN)to care for the client for one day.When the LPN made an error that harmed the client,the client sued both the LPN and the community/public health nurse.Which of the following is the most likely outcome for this lawsuit?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because the community/public health nurse delegated care to an LPN for a seriously ill client whose condition was worsening,the community/public health nurse was responsible for the inappropriate delegation and therefore liable to suit for not using professional nursing judgment.As a supervisor,a nurse must not delegate tasks to workers that are beyond the scope of their knowledge base or the legal scope of their practice.If such workers harm a client while providing care,the community/public health nurse's professional judgment when delegating such tasks will be assessed to determine whether it was reasonable.Respondeat superior occurs when nurses delegate tasks to other workers that are beyond the scope of their knowledge base,and it does not mean that the nurse is responsible for all of the other workers' actions.

A Community/public Health Nurse Was Assigned to Care for a Home