The Respiratory Therapist's Legal Answer Book

Book excerpt: Each day a new law or regulation affects the way respiratory therapists perform their jobs. This basic legal guide contains the extensive information respiratory therapists need to know about the court system, lawyers, law, and litigation. Written by the author, a lawyer and therapist with 13 years of clinical experience ranging from floor therapy to administrative and management functions, this book combines the author's knowledge of the complex interactions in the legal system and how the legal system relates to therapy delivered at the bedside. A resource for students and professionals, the book presents 16 areas of the law, including medical negligence, hospital law and employment law. The text also contains a series of questions and answers about the subject areas of the law, and provides extensive guidance for therapists navigating the treacherous currents of ever changing laws. This is a book for anyone who treats respiratory therapy patients or manages therapists. Most legal texts are written either by non-lawyers or non-therapists. Non-lawyers do not understand the complex interactions in the legal system, and are not permitted to give advice. Non-therapists may understand the law very well, but be unable to relate to how therapy is delivered at the bedside. This book is written by a therapist who is a lawyer, and who has been at the bedside. With thirteen years of clinical experience ranging from floor-therapy to administration and management functions, the author understands how a hospital works. The result is a book that is useful both as a course-book and as a reference