Mohammad, Rohana L. Mrs.

Carmela Perez
BSN 4B2-5 Feb. 3, 2011

Somera Case

The Somera Case is a fact in which health practitioner especially the

nurse should be learned for the lessons it contained. In my opinion, both, the
hospital and Lorenza Somera is accountable for the loss of Anastacia Clemente
the said patient of the hospital. In connection to that, the hospital is liable
because they hired an incompetent and unlicensed nurse in whom in the first
place they should not allowed any unlicensed healthcare provider to work in their
hospital. On the other hand, Lorenza Somera, was just a newly trained and has
given student nurses to be under her supervision. She was still lacking in terms
of proper hospital experiences to be competent enough.
Also, Lorenza Somera, as a nurse must know the action of a drug, its
minimum and maximum dosages, route of administration, the adverse effects so
that she may skillfully, safely, and effectively carry them out. She should be able
to report and record the effects on the patient so that the doctor can judge its
therapeutic value and know when to discontinue their use. And if a nurse is in
doubt, it’s best to look for it in medical books, ask your colleagues and even
confirm it on the doctor. The nurse has to know if the doctor's orders are safe
and correct. At times the nurse is torn between wanting to do what is right for the
patient and not wanting to cause problems for her colleagues but it’s a no way
compare to the down side of hurting or killing an innocent patient by employing
untrained health care personnel. Somera Case consisted of negligence on the
nurse’s part because it’s her obligation to render wellness to a patient, be
efficient and do her duty accordingly. Lorenza Somera was found guilty and for
me it’s a fair judgment because a nurse must fulfill an order that she should have
known by reason of her training and experience but done an incorrect one.
Although the physician was negligent, the cause of death was the nurse's
negligence.
Mohammad, Rohana L. Mrs. Carmela Perez
BSN 4B2-5 February 3, 2011

Norton versus Argonaut Insurance Company

The Norton versus Argonaut Insurance Company Case was about an

administrative nurse found negligent for administering medication she was
unfamiliar with and for neglecting to clarify the order with the prescribing doctor.
As a result, an innocent child died of overdose.
On my own idea, a nurse must be responsible on clarifying orders from
the attending doctor to avoid errors and misapprehension without any hesitation
thereon. She has a duty to question a medication order that is unclear or
unusual. The administration of medication is a basic nursing skill and errors
thereon can result in serious consequences for patients and legal liabilities.
Nurses are expected to be knowledgeable about the actions, side effects and
contraindications of drugs. In this case, the administrative nurse had been
negligent because even though she asked the two doctors present on the patient
care unit about the doctor’s order but did not interpret the order, the nurse still
administered the medication. She interpreted the doctor’s order on her own
understanding and gave the medication on injectable form instead of elixir form
as intended, and so the infant died. She is liable because of failing to verify the
order with the attending doctor prior on administering the medication. Every
nurse should have to be aware and certain what the doctor intended, regarding
both dosage and route. The patient’s life is in the hands of the health care
providers inside the hospital so they must fulfill their function dutifully.