A nurse administers an incorrect medication dose that a reasonably trained nurse would know is wrong. This is an example of what?

• A. Malpractice
• B. Negligence
• C. Informed consent
• D. Battery

Answer: (A)

Understanding professional accountability in nursing means recognizing that a licensed clinician has a duty to provide care that meets established standards. Administering a medication dose that a reasonably trained nurse would know is wrong violates that standard of care. In health care, this kind of breach by a professional is called malpractice—a form of professional negligence. It involves a duty to the patient, a breach of that duty, and potential harm or risk to the patient stemming from deviation from accepted practice. Informed consent is about obtaining permission and is not relevant here, and battery requires intentional harmful contact; this scenario describes a negligent error rather than intentional harm. Therefore, this situation exemplifies malpractice.