Health care practitioners are legally liable for actions of their employees, performed in the course of employment.

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only for intentional acts
• D. Only if employee is under direct supervision

Answer: (A)

Respondeat superior, or vicarious liability, explains why health care practitioners are legally responsible for their employees’ actions performed during work. In medical settings, the employer (such as a hospital or clinic) can be held liable for the negligent acts of staff—nurses, technicians, aides, and others—so long as those actions occur in the course of providing care and within the scope of their job duties. This means the patient care provided by staff is treated as the employer’s responsibility, even if the practitioner supervising or directing the care didn’t personally commit the error. The liability can arise from negligent acts as well as mishandling, poor supervision, or failure to train, all within the employment relationship. The key point is that the act must be within the duties and time frame of the job; acts outside the scope of employment or outside the work setting typically wouldn’t trigger this kind of liability.