Byrd v. Marion General Hospital

What duty does a nurse owe to a patient?

At the outset it must be observed that no judgment was sought against the hospital or the physician of plaintiff who directed that she be sent to the hospital and given the specific treatment, which is the basis of plaintiff’s cause of action.

The great majority of cases discussed in the books involve the liability of hospitals for the negligence and inattention of nurses. The liability rests upon the theory that the nurses in discharge of their duties are agents or servants of the hospital. In this case, however, the liability is asserted against the…