ABSTRACT
Although professionals set their own personal standards of care, these are not necessarily the same as the legal definition for standard of care. Courts use expert testimony to describe and interpret these standards as they relate to specific clinical events. Nurses are well-prepared to assume the role of expert witness, making appropriate consideration of the demands and challenges of the role. Educating the judge and jury about standard of care and how it was met or breached allows the plaintiff’s counsel to build a case and the defense counsel to rebut allegations. It is a natural extension of nursing’s professional responsibility to uphold the standards of care.
