About Nancy Brent

Nancy J. Brent, RN, MS, JD received her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and concentrates her own solo law practice in health law and legal representation, consultation, and education for health care professionals, school of nursing faculty, and health care delivery facilities.

Brent has conducted many seminars on legal issues in nursing and health care delivery across the country and has published extensively in the area of law and nursing practice.

* If a nurse makes a clinical error and is named in a lawsuit, can I also be named?
* What are the three measures that should be taken when reporting a nurse suspected of impairment?
* Is it ethical/legal to hold oneself out as a student nurse when one is not?
* What are the legal issues for nurses witnessing patients‘ signatures on DNR forms?
* I‘m researching an orthopedic case study. Where can I find applicable standards of care?
* How do I chart by exception in a way that would cover me if something were to go to court?
* Is it necessary to have a separate, signed consent before photographing a patient‘s skin for a medical record?
* I was sued for malpractice for a CRNA case. Now the RN board wants both my licenses. Can they take my RN license if I was practicing as a CRNA on that case?
* What are the legal ramifications of stopping my mother‘s medications?
* If I suspect there may be neglect with children in the neighborhood where I live, am I held to a higher level of responsibility and accountability than that of my non-nurse neighbors in regards to reporting such a situation?
* I did not receive a pay raise due to a disciplinary action. Do I have any recourse?
* Can an RN determine patients‘ physical restrictions and limitations?
* Do you recommend a specific text, website, or other publication to help keep current on documentation needs, liabilities, and best practices?
* Is it legal for the nurse to forego the nursing assessment and simply defer to the physician‘s notes?
* Is there a federal or state law regulating mandatory overtime for nurses?
* Can I do anything if I‘m injured on the psych unit on which I work?
* My employer has asked me to cover my tattoos. Do I have any grounds to object to changing my work attire?
* A colleague at the geriatric practice where I work calls the patients “darling,” “cutie pie,” etc. I know this is inappropriate, but our manager doesn‘t seem to mind. What can I do?
* Should my friend take a refresher course in the state she lives now or in the state she wants to move to?
* My employer terminated me for excessive med errors, which I believe not to be true. Will this be reported to the Board of Nursing?