Opinion ID: 1986013
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Nurse Bachmann's Qualifications as an Expert Witness

Text: The Lougheeds clearly established a proper foundation for Nurse Bachmann to be qualified as an expert witness. At trial it was shown that Nurse Bachmann had familiarity with the practice of post-surgical nursing in Delaware generally and at the Medical Center. She testified that: 1) she had worked at the Medical Center while employed by a third-party and, while there, she worked with the nursing staff and had the opportunity to observe post-surgical practices; 2) she cared for patients who were Delaware residents; 3) she taught nursing students who ultimately practiced in Delaware; 4) she had read articles published by or disseminated to Delaware practitioners; 5) she had previously reviewed Delaware medical and nursing records; 6) she had consulted with Delaware nurses concerning Delaware Standards of Nursing Practices; 7) she attended nursing seminars in Delaware; 8) she attended seminars at which Delaware nurses were also in attendance; and 9) she had previously been qualified as an expert witness in Delaware courts. We agree with the Superior Court that the nursing problem presented by this particular case (assisting a patient who becomes dizzy in the bathroom) is not particularly novel. The Superior Court held that Nurse Bachmann could testify as an expert on the issue of standard of care. The Medical Center disagrees with this ruling. It argues that because Nurse Bachmann admitted that she was unfamiliar with Delaware standards, the Lougheeds were required to either establish that Delaware standards were the same as those in the locality where Nurse Bachmann practiced, or that nationwide standards existed, and those nationwide standards encompassed both Delaware and Nurse Bachmann's locality. The Medical Center's argument is flawed for two reasons. First, its basic factual premise is erroneous. Nurse Bachmann testified during voir dire that she was familiar with Delaware standards of nursing care. We do not accept the Medical Center's assertion that Nurse Bachmann's numerous contacts with medical professionals and patients in Delaware were mere opportunities to gain familiarity with Delaware standards. The Superior Court found that Nurse Bachmann was familiar with post-surgical nursing care in Delaware and we find no abuse of discretion in that holding. Second, the Medical Center's insistence that bridging testimony between comparing nationwide standards and Delaware standards should have been provided flows from its misapplication of 18 Del.C. § 6854(b). For a physician to be qualified as an expert witness under 18 Del.C. § 6854(b), it must be shown that the degree of skill and care required of the expert in the locality where the expert practices or teaches is of the same or equivalent standard as the skill and care employed in the community or locality where the alleged malpractice occurred. As discussed previously, however, 18 Del.C. § 6854(b) is not applicable to the testimony of Nurse Bachmann because she is not a physician and, therefore, bridging testimony was unnecessary. Nurse Bachmann established her familiarity with nursing practices in Delaware generally and within the Medical Center. In addition, following the guidance of Loftus, the Superior Court correctly examined Nurse Bachmann's familiarity with Delaware nursing practices in light of the difficulty or novelty of the medical procedure involved. This case involves the standard of care applicable to a nurse who assists a post-operative patient who becomes lightheaded in the bathroom. As Nurse Bachmann noted, this is a fundamental nursing skill that she teaches in her fundamentals of nursing course and is a skill that is universal. Even if it had been necessary to establish that Delaware standards were the same as those in the locality where Nurse Bachmann practiced, or that nationwide standards exist, that burden was met. [3] We conclude, therefore, that the Superior Court did not abuse its discretion in holding that Nurse Bachmann was qualified to testify as a medical expert pursuant to 18 Del.C. § 6854. The Medical Center's argument that the Lougheeds failed to create a prima facie case for malpractice through expert medical testimony, as required by 18 Del.C. § 6853, is, therefore, without merit.