Kiara Ashton
reporter

TCC co-hosted the second annual Mock Trial for Nurses and Nursing Students Oct. 8.

Anyone interested in practicing or learning nursing law was welcome to attend the event co-hosted by Texas A&M’s School of Law and Magna Legal Services. 

Before the court was in session, attendees were given definitions to know for trial and standard of care sources to give additional insight to that particular case and as a reference for future situations. The theoretical case was presented, and the trial began.

In Part one of the trial, the participants were given the role of the jury and were asked to deliberate independently since this was a virtual court hearing and they did not have the option to conclude with one another. Bob Adams, the nurse on trial played by faculty member Jim Mullen, was sworn in and questioned by both council members. 

Part two started after both parties rested and had no further questions for Adams. Patricia Blair, an experienced registered nurse, was then called to the stand. The attorneys asked questions at the start of their questioning like how long they practiced and asked their credentials helping with determining a verdict for Adams. Nancy Roper, another expert witness, later was asked questions regarding the case.

Afterward, both attorneys gave their closing statements. 

Once finished, the participants were directed to use the polling questions to render their verdict of the trial. Over 700 people made up the jury. 

As the audience answered more questions about the case, the most likely result of the trial became more clear. Once the outcome was more or less determined, the attorneys offered some insights into the results of the trial. The majority of the jury determined that most of the fault was the doctor in the case. The nurse was found not negligent in caring for his patient. From there, a Q&A opened up and students were allowed to ask the acting attorneys any questions they may have had about the case or the field at hand.