Patient Abandonment

Possible consequences associated: Agency vs. State Board * Patient abandonment can be viewed as a form of malpractice. Four elements must be proven in order for a health care provider to face legal consequences, which include duty to act, breach of duty, injury and causation (NT Contributor, 2012). Duty to act occurs when a relationship between the nurse and patient is created. Breach of duty occurs when there is a discrepancy in patient care. Injury occurs when the patient is harmed. In some cases, the patient may need an increased level of care or have a prolonged stay. Lastly, causation exists when the outcome leads back to the abrupt termination of patient care (NT Contributor, 2012).
Resources
Patient abandonment and a health care

Health care facilities are accountable for ensuring a work environment that supports safe staffing levels and most importantly, efficient patient care. The Occupational Health and Safety Act ensures safety is maintained in a work environment (“A guide to the occupational health and safety act,” 2015). There are preventative measures that can be taken when a health care provider plans to refuse work, such as instances where their personal health issues and safety is in jeopardy. In Section 43 (1) (b) of OHSA, this does not apply if the worker’s refusal will directly endanger the safety and health of another person (“Refusing Assignments and Discontinuing Nursing Services,” 2009). A health care provider can only stop services if it is at the patient’s request or the patient is given a reasonable amount of time to find a replacement. Also, a health care provider has the right to refuse patient assignments when they feel that the nurse to patient ratio is unsafe and safe patient care cannot be provided (Indest,

Statistics *
Patient abandonment is viewed as medical malpractice when the ending result is a patient’s injury or death where events can lead back to the abrupt termination of patient care. The Institute of Medicine (Medical Malpractice, 2016) published a report, “To Err Is Human”, which focused on American hospitals. The statistics have drastically grown each year. According to (Medical Malpractice, 2016), all together there are 225,000 Americans who die from all forms of medical malpractice. To add on, only 2% of all medical malpractice victims seek legal action.
Conclusion * Although patient abandonment is easy to come about, it is always safe to avoid abandonment at all costs. Nurses are accountable for the decisions and actions they make. A nurse should always get the patient’s permission and allow adequate time to replace health care provider before discontinuing patient care. Otherwise, a nurse could be found guilty of professional misconduct (GBNE, 2008). Communication of the health care team is adequate in ensuring positive outcomes and also prevents patient abandonment issues from arising. Health care providers should give patient care as needed and should not leave them in a critical stage, especially without suitable arrangements. After all, the well-being and safety of the