If a physician ignores a nurse's assessment of a patient's diagnosis and the patient is injured, the court would most likely determine that:

• A. The nurse's assessment was decisive in care
• B. The patient bears sole responsibility for the delay
• C. The physician contributed to delay in treatment and injury to the patient
• D. The physician is automatically liable

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that physicians have the duty to act on reasonable information provided by the care team, including nurses, and to provide timely diagnosis and treatment. When a physician ignores a nurse’s assessment and the patient ends up injured, this typically shows a breach of the physician’s standard of care and a delay in treatment that can proximately cause harm. In malpractice terms, the physician’s inaction on a valid nurse’s finding can be the reason the patient was injured, making the physician responsible for that delay and its consequences.

This doesn’t mean the nurse’s assessment automatically determines the outcome, nor does it imply the patient bears all responsibility or that liability is automatic. If the physician reasonably considered the nurse’s findings but still decided on a course of action that is within the standard of care, liability might not attach. But when the physician ignores an important nurse assessment and harm results from the delay, the physician’s contribution to the injury is the most likely path the court would take.