When a nurse accepts report and responsibility for the care of a patient a duty to the patient is also accepted. In this case, a post-op abdominal aneurysm repair patient was injured after falling from his bed to the floor. When a lawsuit was filed the court initially mistook expert testimony to imply the role of the nurse includes a guarantee of safety. Downey v. Mobile Infirmary Med. Nursing Home Rehabilitation Stay Proves Terminal.
Nursing homes are frequently a patient's destination for rehabilitation following surgery.
Common conditions fitting this bill include large bone fractures, hip replacements and stroke. The purpose of admission to a nursing home is to help the patient regain lost function, strength and health. In this case, the patient would remain in the Nursing Home till her death of complications. Nursing Duty and Responsibility Questioned . Patient noncompliance can present serious challenges to nurses and physicians providing care.