Reference no: EM133921106

Assignment:

Legal Case Three Nurse Practitioner subject to lawsuit after signing off on doctor's report. On Dec. 1st, Peter Strickholm was prescribed a medication for his high blood pressure by a nurse practitioner (NP) who had recently been established as his primary-care provider. One week later, Strickholm returned to have his blood pressure checked. A different nurse administered the blood pressure test, rather than his NP, and sent the results to another physician in the office who noted improvement, but still elevated. The physician suggested Strickholm be seen again in a few weeks and to increase his dosage if his blood pressure levels were still elevated. The NP did not review and approve of the physician's report until Dec. 11th and made no further testing, treatment recommendations, or follow-up. Strickholm suffered cardiac arrest days later, leaving him with cognitive impairment, including memory issues. Strickholm's parents subsequently filed a medical malpractice claim against the NP, alleging she had breached the relevant standard of care in her treatment of Strickholm up to and through at least Dec. 8th causing him harm. The nurse practitioner filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that she did not provide any medical care to Strickholm.

• What recommendations would you suggest for the nurse practitioner and/or facility to reduce risk in this case?
• Prioritize risk mitigation strategies to prevent or reduce adverse outcomes based on your findings.
• Employ ethical decision making to determine which potential ethical principle(s) could be violated in this specific case and provide a justifiable action for restitution.