which nursing speciality is at most risk for being sued?

All are at risk. But which speciality is at most risk for being sued?
What about MD's. Which specialty is at most risk? I'm thinking peds because those kids have a long road ahead. Parents can later sue. As far as nursing, Im not sure, maybe critical care since those patients are at highest risk for death and can blame the nurse who is with them 24/7
Do you find that when people get real old, the family kind of wants them to die? Last edit by chiuli on Oct 7, '10
Follow the money (insurance premiums), NP with the collaborating physician would likely be at most risk.In ICU, once they get to us they are more closely watched.

An opinion from one who has never been threatened with a law suit I am along the lines of your thinking but not peds but OB IMO. In OB the nurse has 2 patients. Same goes with the doc. I believe everyone knows at least 1 person whose been involved in a suit for or against a doc due to complications during delivery that effected the baby or the mother or both.

Labor and delivery

My guess would be OB. One of the many reasons I stay far, far away from it.

Quote from tyvinAn opinion from one who has never been threatened with a law suit I am along the lines of your thinking but not peds but OB IMO. In OB the nurse has 2 patients. Same goes with the doc. I believe everyone knows at least 1 person whose been involved in a suit for or against a doc due to complications during delivery that effected the baby or the mother or both.

Quote from chiuliDo you find that when people get real old, the family kind of wants them to die?

Def. L&D. People are so freakin' sue-happy these days.

I hear L&D has the highest liability. Parents can sue up to 18 years after the child is born.This is what I am told from a L&D nurse.

I wish suing was... illegal in the medical field. I know thats impossible, but it seems like there are more ******** cases then real ones. My mom has tried to sue doctors like 3 times in her life over ********... typical I suppose...

Everything OB.

OB/L&D and anesthesia are the two most litigious nursing specialties in existence.

L&D, definitely.People expect a happy ending when having a baby. When something goes awry, they want someone to blame. The fact that there are so many variables (natural, induction, section, TOLAC, VBAC, etc.) provides plenty of opportunity for second guessing.Couple that with the fact that, while few lay people are conversant with the details of complicated surgery or advance chemo regimens, everyone who has ever been a baby, seen a baby, held a baby, or had a baby seems to think they understand the complexities and nuances of childbirth. If there is any kind of negative outcome, you will have plenty of peanut gallery members giving all manner of legal advice and encouragement.This is not to say that nurses in other areas don't get sued. Only that OBs have the highest malpractice premiums (the last time I looked at the figures) and in any lawsuit, L&D nurses are likely to be named (along with the hospital and anyone else the attorney can think of).I would never work L&D without professional liability insurance, that's for sure. (Even if a nurse isn't named in a suit, she can be called as a witness against a doc or even a co-worker. The insurance would provide me with legal services in that situation as well as if I were actually sued.)