Issues At Trial

To be negligent is to act or fail to act in a way that causes injury to another person. Accidents happen, but what separates an unintentional accident from a negligent act is the standard of care. By neglecting the applicable and proper standard of care pertaining to a particular incident, an individual may be found liable for any resulting injuries. Negligence is a legal theory in civil law. The concept of negligence is closely related to determination of standard of care. Medical malpractice is considered a specific entity within the domain of negligence.

“I really hate it when a nurse-practitioner is called a mid-level provider”.  Mid-level provider is not a legal or academic term.  It is slang developed to demean or minimize a health professional who is not an MD.  The term “mid-level provider” is aimed at nurse-practitioners (NP’s), as well as physician assistants (PA’s), and certified nurse-midwives.  It is insulting to health professionals as well as to the patients that they serve.  Mid-level implies that he or she provides middle-of-the-road or average care.  Who then delivers high-level care?  It must be the MD, of course.  So who delivers the lowest level of care? Nurses?