Which term means being legally responsible for your own actions?

• A. Negligence
• B. Liability
• C. Malpractice
• D. Law

Answer: (B)

Being legally responsible for your own actions is liability. Liability means you have a legal obligation to answer for what you do and to make amends if your actions cause harm. In nursing, you’re liable for actions you personally take that fall below the standard of care or harm a patient, and you can be held legally and financially accountable as a result. Negligence is the failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent professional would, which can lead to liability but describes the fault itself rather than the general idea of being responsible. Malpractice is professional negligence by a licensed clinician, a specific type of liability tied to professional duties. Law is the system of rules that defines these duties and the consequences, but it isn’t the term for being responsible for one’s actions.