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Applications of the ‘captain of the ship’ doctrine
Author(s) -
Murphy Ellen K.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/s0001-2092(07)66752-0
Subject(s) - doctrine , duty , virtue , liability , law , aeronautics , engineering , political science
“Under the “captain of the ship” doctrine the surgeon is likened to the captain of a ship, and it is his or her duty to control everything that is going on in the operating room. Liability is imposed by virtue of the surgeon's status, and it can be imposed without actually showing that the surgeon is in control ( Thomas vs Raleigh general Hospital 358 SE 2d 222 [WVa 1987]).