The omission of an act that a reasonable and prudent person would perform in a similar situation or the commission of something a reasonable person would not do in that situation defines which concept?

• A. Malpractice
• B. Negligence
• C. Nonfeasance
• D. Duty

Answer: (B)

Negligence is the failure to act with the care that a reasonably prudent person would use in similar circumstances, or doing something that a prudent person would not do, and this failure can lead to harm. In nursing, this concept covers both sides: not performing a necessary action (omission) and performing an action improperly or inappropriately (commission). For example, if a nurse fails to monitor a patient after giving a high-risk medication, or administers the wrong dose, that reflects negligence because the care provided did not meet the expected standard and caused potential or actual harm. Nonfeasance is specifically about omitting a required action, and malpractice refers to professional negligence within practice, while duty is the obligation to act—neither alone captures the broader failure described by negligence.