A Malpractice Suit against a Hospital – Case Study Solution

• Ridgeview Hospital was sued for negligence .
• The case involved the alleged incorrect medication that nearly caused the child’s death.
• The party bringing suit contended that the nurse who administered the drug was negligent
• It was learned that the nurse had been hired by Ridgeview before it had received a letter of reference from her previous employer verifying her employment history.
• John Reeves,director of hospital, took the position that reference checks were a waste of time.
• Reeves’s lawyer concluded to choose between two alternatives in adopting a personnel screening policy.
  • It could continue not to verify references, thereby risking malpractice suits such as the one discussed.
  • Alternatively, it could implement a policy of giving out all information on past employees and risk defamation suits.

A Malpractice Suit against a Hospital Questions & Answers:

1. Which of the two alternatives would you recommend to the hospital?

Answer:

• The hospital needs to re-evaluate its recruiting process.
• The problem is that this approach,can be very costly.
• Upgrade its recruiting process.
• Aptitude test might be appropriate in this situation.
• Attention should also be given on establishing or revising the current reference checking system.

2. What question could be asked in a recruitment interview to help eliminate the problem?

Answer:

• In this case, the hospital has a right, if not an ethical obligation to probe into the background of applicants. Human life is at stake.
• Employee with a history of hospital jumping would have to be regarded as a risk and hired only as a last alternative after a thorough investigation of his or her work history.