As an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) in 2004 I was named as a primary defendant in a medical malpractice case claiming negligence in nursing care. Although I had been taught the litigation process in graduate school, I was poorly prepared for the life-long ramifications and professional aftermath of being named in a lawsuit.

Patients receiving renal care, especially those in hemodialysis units, are the sickest of the sick with an annual mortality rate nearing 20%. With this realization, nephrology nurses go to work and care for their patients knowing that poor outcomes such as death, falls, needle dislodgement, or medication errors can occur. If this happens in your practice/clinic, could you be liable?  Furthermore, in a statement from the American Nurses Association published 2.25.2022, “Health care delivery is highly complex. It is inevitable that mistakes will happen, and systems will fail. It is completely unrealistic to think otherwise.”

As a result of being sued, I have become a speaker, an author, and an expert witness to support and defend nephrology colleagues named in litigation. The focus of this presentation will outline the steps of a medical malpractice lawsuit, the expected emotions, and strategies to defend practice if this should happen to you. Speaking on this topic empowers APPs and all nurses to seek education and lift the stigma of a lawsuit. This collaborative session between speaker and the audience will be a tool to assist nephrology nurses to protect and defend their practice.