In a medical malpractice case, the attention is all on the medical providers. Emergency room physicians, nurses, and a host of other providers treat hospital patients. Each of these hospital employees, in providing patient care, may act with negligence. When a physician or nurse fails to provide a level of care that a similarly situated colleague would, then he or she may be liable for providing negligent care. 

However, despite the focus on the actions of a nurse or doctor when it comes to negligence, there is another factor that is simpler to consider and may be just as important. When a shift change at a hospital or other medical facility is not conducted in the best manner possible, patients are caught in the middle. 

A Deeper Dive Into Poorly Organized Shift Changes

The healthcare system in West Virginia and the United States as a whole functions best when dozens of individuals coordinate the care provided to clients. Less-than-stellar communication, processes that are not updated regularly, and communication errors can lead to a patient suffering from gaps in treatment. 

A challenge for an injury victim and their legal counsel is to determine whether there are grounds to assert negligence against a hospital, physician, or nurse. There are some tell-tale signs that an attorney who has served clients injured due to shift change-related negligence can identify. 

Failure to Communicate During Shift Changes Impacts Patient Outcomes

To begin, patients tend to suffer worse outcomes due to communication deficits on the part of hospital staff. Picture this: A physician is reviewing a patient’s X-ray and has concluded that a new diagnosis is appropriately related to a spot within a bone. However, immediately before that new diagnosis can be communicated to the patient’s nurse and treating physician, a shift change interrupts the radiologist who reviewed the X-ray. 

Unfortunately, the failure to communicate a relevant update on a patient’s condition can create a gap in care for that patient. The longer the gap, the more likely it is that a bad outcome will befall that patient. Whether it is a test that was never ordered or a diagnosis that was never communicated, a shift change may occur that leads to a particularly harmful result for a patient. 

When a physician fails to make a diagnosis on time, or a nurse does not document their observation of a patient, these mistakes can coincide with the end of one shift and the beginning of another. Continuity of care is critical, and medical professionals rely upon communication to perform their jobs as well as possible. Shift changes occur regularly and ideally on a schedule that is known in advance by doctors and nurses. 

Handoffs That Do Not Close the Gaps in Treatment

Shift changes do not have to be periods of time where a patient’s care suffers. Instead, hospitals create schedules that include some degree of overlap between nurses and physicians. This way, the medical providers are forced to come into direct contact with one another to explain where a patient is with their care. After a thorough explanation is made, hospital staff are better equipped to guide the next few hours of that patient’s care journey. 

Unfortunately, many times these handoffs of care from one provider to another do not occur as smoothly as is ideal. Shift changes can result in the next group of nurses or doctors not following up on a condition, which may lead to a worsening of that patient’s health. Injuries may occur because continuity of care has been disrupted. While shift changes do present challenges for hospital staff, it is not inevitable that patient injuries will occur. 

Putting a nurse or physician in a position where a handoff does not occur means the new group of providers must make assessments with incomplete or even completely missing information. Errors in properly dosing medication or even prematurely discharging a patient are not out of the realm of possibility when a handoff is not prioritized. 

A Hospital’s Protocols Are Tested During Shift Changes

Hospitals should have protocols that are burned into the memory and practices of hospital staff. Nurses and physicians can rely on these time-tested protocols when shift changes and other “disruptions” occur. Medical professionals cannot always prevent these disruptions to a normal schedule. However, the protocols accepted and implemented by hospital staff can ensure that bad outcomes due to poor-quality medical care are kept to an absolute minimum. 

At the beginning of a new shift, nurses may be tasked with ensuring that medications are being dosed correctly and at regular intervals. Additionally, a nurse could be responsible for checking bloodwork to determine if the patient has an infection that may need immediate attention. In extreme scenarios, surgical nursing staff and physicians may neglect to perform the necessary pre-surgical checks on a patient’s condition. 

In these scenarios, it may not be the fault of the nurse or physician alone that the patient suffers a bad outcome. Instead, the hospital’s policies and procedures regarding continuity of care during handoffs may lack detail and instruction. Gaps in patient care are much more likely when hospital protocols are unclear or overlooked due to time constraints or other circumstances. 

Establishing Medical Neglect with Available Evidence

It is up to the injury victim and their attorney to prove that the provider acted negligently. To do so, evidence is needed. That evidence may exist in the form of shift change paperwork that was not completed or a schedule that left a patient unmonitored for several hours. When a pattern of neglect by a hospital can be established by an injury victim, there is a greater likelihood of success in recovering damages. This is true both in settlement negotiations and in presenting evidence to a judge or jury. 

Contact Crim Law, PLLC For a Free Case Review

When a hospital patient suffers an injury or worsened condition due to problems arising during a shift change, experienced and knowledgeable legal counsel is needed. Contact Crim Law, PLLC today for a free case review. A West Virginia nursing malpractice lawyer is here to speak with you about how to recover from your injuries and move forward towards a better tomorrow.