What does the term negligence refer to?

Negligence is fundamentally defined as the failure to act as a responsible person would in similar circumstances, leading to unintentional harm or injury to another person. In the context of healthcare, this concept emphasizes the importance of adhering to a standard of care that a typical professional in the field would observe.

In the scenario of healthcare practice, for example, if a nurse fails to monitor a patient’s vital signs appropriately, and this oversight leads to deterioration in the patient’s condition, the nurse may be considered negligent based on the failure to meet the expected standard of care. The essence of negligence is not merely the absence of action, but the absence of the appropriate level of action that a reasonable person would exercise in similar situations.

The other choices, while related to professional conduct, focus on specific regulations, policies, or interactions rather than the broader concept of failing to meet the expected standard of care that defines negligence.