Nursing and Midwifery Malpractice in Turkey Based on the Higher Health Council Records

• Published in: Nursing ethics Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 489 - 499
• Main Authors: Gündoğmuş, Ümit N, Özkara, Erdem, Mete, Samiye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2004; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Female; Humans; Liability; Liability, Legal; Male; Malpractice - legislation & jurisprudence; Malpractice - statistics & numerical data; Medical errors; Medical malpractice; Medical Staff, Hospital - legislation & jurisprudence; Medical Staff, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Midwifery; Midwifery - education; Midwifery - legislation & jurisprudence; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing Records - statistics & numerical data; Nursing Staff, Hospital - legislation & jurisprudence; Nursing Staff, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Retrospective Studies; Turkey; Womens health; Turkey; nursing; liability; midwifery; malpractice
• ISSN: 0969-7330; 1477-0989
• DOI: 10.1191/096973304ne727oa

Medical malpractice has attracted the attention of people and the media all over the world. In Turkey, malpractice cases are tried according to both criminal and civil law. Nurses and midwives in Turkey fulfill important duties in the distribution of health services. The aim of this study was to reveal the legal procedures followed in malpractice allegations and malpractice lawsuits in which nurses and midwives were named as defendants. We reviewed 59 nursing and midwifery lawsuits reported to the Higher Health Council between 1993 and 1998. Health professionals were held liable in 59% of the lawsuits. Midwives had the highest percentage of malpractice liability (52%), followed by physicians (29%) and nurses (19%). To reduce potential liability, nurse education should be improved, a nursing malpractice law should be enacted, and instructions for nursing procedures should be formulated.