Under the reasonable person standard, which scenario might lead to negligence?

Under the reasonable person standard, which scenario might lead to negligence?

• A. The nurse fails to document administration and another nurse overdoses the patient
• B. A bystander does not intervene during a street robbery
• C. A bystander warns a bystander about danger
• D. A patient fully complies with all prescribed treatments and experiences no harm

Answer: (A)

Under the reasonable person standard, what a nurse does is judged by what a reasonably prudent nurse would do in similar circumstances. Documentation of medication administration is part of that standard because it records what was given, by whom, and when, and it helps prevent dosing errors and miscommunication. If a nurse fails to document, others may lack crucial information, increasing the risk of harm like an overdose by another nurse. When harm occurs and it can be traced to that failure to document, it reflects a breach of the expected standard of care and can lead to negligence because the nurse did not act as a reasonably prudent professional would, and that lapse contributed to the injury. The other scenarios don’t involve a healthcare professional’s failure to meet the standard of care in a situation where harm occurred, so they don’t illustrate negligence under the reasonable person standard.

Under the reasonable person standard, what a nurse does is judged by what a reasonably prudent nurse would do in similar circumstances. Documentation of medication administration is part of that standard because it records what was given, by whom, and when, and it helps prevent dosing errors and miscommunication.

If a nurse fails to document, others may lack crucial information, increasing the risk of harm like an overdose by another nurse. When harm occurs and it can be traced to that failure to document, it reflects a breach of the expected standard of care and can lead to negligence because the nurse did not act as a reasonably prudent professional would, and that lapse contributed to the injury.

The other scenarios don’t involve a healthcare professional’s failure to meet the standard of care in a situation where harm occurred, so they don’t illustrate negligence under the reasonable person standard.