Connette v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority

Summary

The Court held that a registered nurse, including a certified registered nurse anesthetist, may owe and breach an independent professional duty of care even while working under a physician's supervision. It overruled the contrary categorical rule and concluded that the trial court improperly excluded expert testimony concerning the CRNA's participation in selecting and planning the anesthesia. The case was reversed and remanded for a new trial.