I was disappointed at the advice given in "Medication Error: Sleeping Soundly" (Legal Questions, April 2007).* A nurse wrote to ask about her liability after she'd administered a drug inappropriately. The legal consultant called her concern for her personal liability "worrisome," even though the nurse said the patient recovered "just fine." I'm not a lawyer, but I've been writing about legal issues that affect nurses for some time. I've interviewed or surveyed many nurses who've been caught up in a misconduct situation. They need a lot of support to understand that they're not to blame for everything that goes wrong in patient care.

Most other professionals believe that it's all right to be concerned about one's personal risk. This response perpetuated the myth that a nurse has no right to be concerned about herself.

SHARON LADUKE, RN, BS

Bountiful, Utah

^*Individual subscribers can access this article free online at http://www.nursing2007.com[Context Link]

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