If there is a breach in the nurse-patient relationship resulting in harm to the patient, which legal action could the nurse be charged with?

• A. Negligence
• B. Malpractice
• C. Assault
• D. Slander

Answer: (B)

When a nurse’s breach of duty in the nurse-patient relationship causes harm, the issue is malpractice. In this context, the nurse owes the patient a duty to provide care that meets the professional standard. If the nurse’s actions (or inactions) fall below that standard and that breach leads to actual harm, there can be a claim for malpractice. The key elements are the professional duty, a breach of that duty, causation linking the breach to the harm, and damages resulting from the harm. This is distinct from general negligence because malpractice refers specifically to negligence committed by a licensed professional in the course of practicing their profession. Assault and slander don’t fit because they involve intentional harm or defamation, not professional negligence causing harm from the standard of care. For example, giving a medication dose incorrectly due to a lapse in monitoring, leading to patient injury, could constitute malpractice.