What constitutes nurse abandonment and why is it problematic?

• A. Leaving a patient without appropriate care or supervision; grounds for discipline.
• B. Providing care without asking for consent.
• C. Assisting a patient beyond assigned duties.
• D. Transferring a patient to another unit with consent.

Answer: (A)

Abandonment occurs when a nurse who has accepted responsibility for a patient stops caring for that patient without arranging for appropriate coverage or supervision. This is serious because it breaks the nurse’s duty to provide continuous, competent care and directly endangers patient safety. In Florida, such failure can lead to disciplinary action by the Board of Nursing, and, if harm results, potential civil or criminal liability in addition to professional consequences. The other statements don’t describe abandonment: providing care without consent concerns consent, not ongoing supervision; assisting beyond assigned duties is simply taking on more work; transferring a patient with consent is a standard, appropriate handoff as long as care is continuous.