An emergency department (ED) manager interviews and hires a candidate who reports having several years of ED experience. Soon after hire, the nurse makes a series of errors and harms several clients. When investigating these errors, the nurse manager discovers the nurse falsified his experience and credentials. Is the hospital liable for this nurse's actions?
A) Yes, the hospital could be liable for negligent hiring if credentials were not checked.
B) Yes, the hospital could be liable but only if it did not properly train the nurse.
C) No, the nurse is liable because information about experience was falsified in the interview.
D) Yes, the hospital is liable for all errors committed by nursing staff.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

1. The hospital could be liable for negligent hiring if the nurse's credentials and experience were not checked.
2. The hospital is responsible for properly training all newly hired nurses, but in this case the falsified experience and credentials are a more relevant issue.
3. The nurse could also be liable, but the hospital probably will be found at fault as well.
4. Hospitals are not always liable for all errors committed by nursing staff if the staff is not following written policy and procedure.

An Emergency Department (ED) Manager Interviews and Hires a Candidate