Ann Scott Blouin, PhD, MBA, RN, is Vice President, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Dr. Blouin has practiced in academic medical centers and community hospitals, functioning in clinical nursing and administrative positions, including chief nurse executive and executive vice president. Dr. Blouin has published extensively in health-care and nursing journals and textbooks. She has served in clinical and administrative faculty roles for several schools of nursing located in Chicago, Illinois. Nancy J. Brent, JD, MS, RN, concentrates her solo law practice in representation, education, and consultation for healthcare providers, healthcare delivery systems, and nurse faculty. Ms. Brent has practiced and taught psychiatric nursing in a variety of settings and nursing education programs, including the Visiting Nurse Association of Cleveland and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She conducts seminars on legal issues in usring and healthcare delivery across the country, has published extensively in the area of law and nursing practice, and is the author of the 1997 text Nurses and the Law: A Guide to Principles and Applications, published by W.B. Saunders Co. This column explores selected legal concerns of interest to nurse executives and nurse managers.