Surviving the Deposition Blues: Instructions for Advance Practice Nurses in Preparing for and Participating in a Deposition

Medical malpractice rates against advance practice nurses (APNs) are increasing. The 2006 annual report from the National Practitioner Data Bank reported 6208 claims involving APNs. Although many APNs may not believe that they will be involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit, the statistics indicate that this is not the case. It is therefore imperative that APNs be prepared for medical malpractice1 legal proceedings. The purpose of this article is to review the essential terminology and instructions relating to legal proceedings in a medical lawsuit so that APNs are prepared for a deposition or court appearance.