The Washington State nursing laws and rules don't define patient abandonment.
The Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) has investigated and disciplined nurses for issues surrounding the concept of abandonment as it relates to the nurse’s duty to a patient.
The WABON’s position applies to the licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, and advanced registered nurse practitioner.
Some behavior may be considered an employer-employment issue and not patient abandonment.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines patient abandonment as “a unilateral severance of the established nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the appropriate person so that arrangements can be made for the continuation of nursing care by others…”