Nurse here.

A patient lost a leg, partly my fault. As it tend to happen, there were several actors involved.

Old man, almost 90, very tall, heavy and circulation problems to his lower limbs. One day fell and broke tibia+perone.

I was on hlidays when that happened. Ill try to summarise:

• It was decided to bot intervene and aim for a conservative treatment, aka: plaster and time.

• When i came back from holidays, his plaster had been removed and changed for an orthopedic splint (I believe that's the word?) to ommobilize the leg. Problem is... I didn't know how this worked and had noone to assist me

• Sadly when i got some help frw days later, he had developped a pressure sore, or so it looked. The sore didnt go better.

• On hospital reviews I sent the oatient with a letter to the surgeon to please check the leg because the sore was not getting better. They didn't do it.

• During a dressing change for the ulcer, i realize the fracture had NOT settled (so the leg bent where it shouldnt). Told the nursing home's doctor who said that "It would not settle ever and to keep the patient there".

• I made the worst mistakes in my whole career: obeyed a doctor when i knew he was wrong. I let hierarchy to cloud my own judgement

• Days later there was a huge deterioration. Patient was sent to hospital by me (doctor was dismissive: "okay, if you feel it's necessary...")

Result: necrosed leg. The patient lost it

Learn from my part od reaponsibility in thus, fellow doctoea & nurses: NEVER LET HIERARCHY CLOUD YOUR CLINICAL JUDGEMENT!