Professional negligence: analysis of the ethical lawsuits of nursing professionals judged by COREN-SP (2001-2010)

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20184204873892

Abstract

This article represents the results of a study that dealt with the negligence committed by nursing professionals in the exercise of their function and aimed to identify and classify the cases of professional negligence judged by the Regional Council of Nursing of São Paulo in the period of 2001-2010. This is a documentary, exploratory and descriptive study of a quantitative nature carried out at the headquarters of the Regional Nursing Council of São Paulo - COREN-SP; the body responsible for supervising the professional practice. The data that underlies the research was composed of 482 ethical processes concluded between 2001 and 2010. 68 lawsuits of negligence were identified. Precarious care was the type of negligence that obtained the highest percentage (51.47%); the adult, elderly and children groups as victims of neglect were 30.77%, 30.18% and 29.58%, respectively. Negligence caused damages to the patient in 92.90% of the analyzed cases. The nursing assistant was the category that most committed negligence (46.45%) and the hospital institution is the place with the highest incidence (84.62%). The surgical medical clinic was the most frequent specialty clinic (34.31%). The complaints originated at COREN-SP (52.67%). The trials resulted in 37.87% convicted professionals. The results of the study draw the first moves of a negligent act by providing accurate data on the type of event, the profile of the victim and the professional, the presence or absence of harm, the prevalent specialty, the origin and outcome of the lawsuits and the type of institution involved, forming the first picture of negligence in the nursing environment.