Negligence is best described as

• A. Intentional harm
• B. Failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise, resulting in harm
• C. Breach of confidentiality
• D. Malpractice

Answer: (B)

Negligence means failing to provide the level of care a reasonably prudent nurse would give in a similar situation, and as a result, the patient is harmed. It rests on a duty to act and a breach of that duty through action or inaction that a competent professional would avoid. The harm must flow from that failure, which sets it apart from intentional harm (done on purpose), breaches of confidentiality (privacy issues), and the broader term malpractice (professional negligence). In short, negligence is about not meeting the standard of care and causing harm as a result.