Constance A. Morrison
DNP JD MBA CNS-PMHNP BC FAANP
Attorney, Psychotherapist, Doctor of Nursing, Forensic Scientist, Educator, Consultant, Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

Nurse and the LawSeminars 
on 
Malpractice, Forensic Science, Disaster Preparedness, 
Risk Management, and Communications. 

Home Awards Publications Media Coverage Legal Practice Nursing Teaching Vol. Activities
Expertise Links Profile Military Service        

  1. Morrison, CA. (1997) . Proving a Claim of Negligence (Malpractice) Against a Nurse, Nursing Spectrum
    http://nsweb.nursingspectrum.com/cfforms/GuestLecture/negligence.cfm 

    It’s a situation that you hope you are never in, but need to know about: a court case brought by a patient.

  2. Meyer J., Morrison, CA. (1998). Should nurses purchase their own liability insurance?  
    The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 23 (3): 122-123, May June 1998

  3. Morrison, CA. ( 1999 ) .Cameras In Hospital Rooms: The Fourth Amendment To The Constitution And Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy 
    Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 22(1):65-68. Aspen Publishers Inc.

    Almost 50 years have passed since the Munchausen syndrome (MS) was first identified. Now it is more than two decades since Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) has been identified. MSBP continues to be one of the most bizarre  and baffling forms of child abuse to all who encounter it.

  4. Morrison, CA. (1999).  A malpractice primer for NPs, Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 7 (2), 23. 

    Malpractice and negligence are terms that are often used interchangeably. Malpractice refers to deviations from a professional standard of care that a reasonably prudent person in the same profession would follow under the same or similar circumstances. While only a professional can be charged with malpractice, anyone can be charged with negligence.

  5. Morrison ,CA. (1999).  Evolving legal trends affect NPs, Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 7 (5), 24. 

    U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala has predicted the evolution of an interdisciplinary and collaborative health care system in which advance practice nurses will "come into their own.

  6. Morrison, CA. (1999).  Understanding a civil trial,  Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 7 (8), 25.

    A patient you treated 9 months ago is unhappy with the outcome and has filed a malpractice lawsuit against you. Now what? This edition of "Legal Update" provides an overview of the events in a typical civil trial against an NP.

  7. Morrison, CA. ( 1999 ). Understanding civil trials, part 2 Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 7 (11), 25. 

    This month's segment of "Legal Update" is the second and final part of an overview of a typical civil trial against an NP. Part 1 brought you to the point of discovery, which begins after a lawsuit has been filed.

  8. Morrison, CA. ( 2000 ). Consent and informed consent , Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 8 (2), 28.

    The right to consent to treatment comes from the common law right to be free from unwanted, offensive or harmful touching by another. The courts have held health care providers liable for failure to obtain cons.

  9. Morrison, CA. ( 2000 ). NPs as expert witnesses , Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 8 (5), 28.

    The standard of care in a malpractice action against a nurse practitioner must be established by expert witness testimony. Other witnesses can testify only to facts; their opinions and conclusions are not admissible. The standard of care in a malpractice action against a nurse practitioner must be established by expert witness testimony. Other witnesses can testify only to facts; their opinions and conclusions are not admissible.

  10. Morrison, CA. ( 2000 ). Blow the whistle on unsafe care, Advance for Nurse Practitioner. 8 (8), 29.

    "Whistleblowing" commonly refers to an employee's disclosure of immoral, unethical or illegal acts under the employer's control.1Whistleblowing is telling the truth, but at what price?

  11. Morrison, CA. ( 2000 ). Become more 'legally' aware, Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 8 (11), 32. 

    Nurse practitioners continue to face a small number of malpractice judgments compared with physicians. (Many malpractice lawsuits against physicians and NPs never make it to court because they are settled prior to trial. Nurse practitioners continue to face a small number of malpractice judgments compared with physicians. (Many malpractice lawsuits against physicians and NPs never make it to court because they are settled prior to trial.


  12. Morrison, CA. ( 2001 ) .Tracking through data banks , Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 9 (2), 25.

    For the past decade, the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) has maintained a reporting database designed to prevent negligent health care professionals from moving from state to state with no mechanism for tracking malpractice claims or poor performance. The data bank is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. Nurse practitioners are one of the professions tracked in the data bank, which makes its practices worth reviewing here. 


  13. Morrison, CA. ( 2001 ) .Three common legal questions , Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 9 (5), 26.

    How safe is it for an NP to give medical advice over the telephone?
    Experts say the telephone is an effective, safe and appropriate tool for discussion of health-related problems.

  14. Morrison, CA. ( 2001 ) Unlicensed personnel issues ,Advance for Nurse Practitioners. 9 (8), 29.

    The use of unlicensed personnel and unlicensed assistive personnel in health care settings prompts much debate about liability for nurse practitioners and other members of the health care team. Most state boards of nursing have specific rules and regulations about delegation to and the supervision of unlicensed personnel.

  15. Morrison, CA. ( 2001 ) Professional liability insurance, Advanace for Nurse Practitioners. 9 (11), 22.

    To protect your livelihood and ability to practice, you must have professional liability insurance.


  16. Morrison, CA. ( 2005 ) .Teaching Forensic Evidence Skills  
    Reflections on Nursing Leadership Second Quarter 2005. Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International


  17. Liability Issues in Perinatal Nursing by Donna Miller Rostant, Rebecca F. Cady 
    Reviewed by Constance A. Morrison, RN, JD