Description

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Goal: To provide an overview of malpractice lawsuits, and the emotional and professional strategies available to nurses who are called as defendants.

Objectives:

1. List the emotional steps of malpractice.
2. Describe malpractice stress.
3. Explain the strategies for emotional survival for nurses called as defendants.
4. Identify interventions nurses can employ to augment their legal defense team.

Statements of Disclosure: Kristin Larson disclosed that she has presented sessions for ANNA that received an educational grant from Abbott.

Rowena Elliot reported no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this continuing nursing education article.

Acknowledgment: The authors wish to thank Phyllis Hustoff at the Harley French Library, University of North Dakota, for her assistance.

Author(s)

• Rowena W. Elliott, PhD, RN, CNN, AGNP-C, GS-C, CNE, ANEF, FAAN , Associate Clinical Professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
• Kristin Larson, MSN, RN, AGNP-BC , Nurse Practitioner, United Health Care