A nurse suspects that a patient’s death is due to a medical device with a manufacturing defect. What should the nurse do?

The nurse should promptly report a suspected device-related death through the appropriate safety channels: the hospital, the device manufacturer, and the FDA. Reporting a suspicion allows the event to be investigated; the nurse does not need to prove the device caused the death first. Keeping quiet, contacting the news, or continuing to use a potentially defective device could put others at risk.

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