The case was about a nurse practitioner who was accused for negligence resulting to the

patients death. The nurse practitioner clarified the medication orders of morphine for the patient to the
transferring hospitals pharmacist before approving it. The pharmacist approved the orders but during
the second day of the patient in the facility, the nursing staff found the patient with no vital sign and
despite all the emergency measures provided, the patient was pronounced dead. The autopsy revealed
the cause of the death was morphine intoxication. In addition, the patient also had high level of blood
alcohol but the source of the alcohol could not be traced.
If the defendant is found guilty of homicide, I think that the nurse practitioners negligence
could be the cause of the patients death due to the fact that morphine intoxication is the reason of the
patients death. I think that the only evidence that the nurse practitioner can provide to defend herself
is the documentation which proves that the morphine that was ordered was within therapeutic range. It
can also prove that the medication order was not the reason for the patients death but the involvement
of high level of blood alcohol might be a reason for the patients death instead.