In the absence of a nurse on the floor, a patient falls from the bed. This type of injury belongs to:

Correct option is B

In law and nursing ethics, negligence is defined as the failure to provide reasonable care that a prudent professional would normally give in a similar situation. If a nurse is absent from duty or fails to ensure patient safety (e.g., by leaving side rails down), and the patient falls from bed, this is considered professional negligence. According to Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing (10th edition) and Black’s Law Dictionary, negligence in nursing arises when there is:

1. Duty of care owed to the patient,
2. Breach of that duty,
3. Injury to the patient,
4. Causal relationship between breach and injury.
   Therefore, this scenario is classified as negligence.

Explanation of options:

(a) Battery – Battery means intentional physical contact without consent (e.g., forcing an injection). A fall due to absence of care is not intentional, so it is not battery.

(b) Negligence – Correct. The nurse had a duty of care to ensure safety, absence caused breach, and the patient suffered injury. Verified in Potter & Perry’s Fundamentals of Nursing and ICN Code of Ethics.

(c) Tort – Tort is a broad legal term for a civil wrong (includes negligence, assault, battery, defamation). While negligence is a type of tort, the most specific answer here is negligence.

(d) None of the above – Incorrect because negligence is clearly applicable.