Cases involving substance abuse are something that a nurse attorney could be of great help for some nurses. However, some nurses tend to forget this fact because they really felt like they should be responsible even if they never intended to commit such an error.
On or about August 17, 2017, while employed as a Registered Nurse in a medical facility in San Antonio, the RN allegedly lacked the fitness to practice nursing in that she exhibited signs of impaired behavior while on duty, to include: slurred speech, difficulty focusing, red eyes, and she was disengaged. Further, she admitted to her nurse manager that she consumed wine while on duty and the night prior to her shift. The RN’s condition could have affected her ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms or changes in patients’ conditions, and could have affected her ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing the patients in potential danger.
During the said date, the RN allegedly engaged in the intemperate use of Alcohol in that she produced a specimen for a drug screen that resulted positive for Alcohol. The use of Alcohol by a Nurse, while subject to call or duty could impair the nurse’s ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms, or changes in a patient’s condition, and could impair the nurse’s ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing a patient in potential danger.
This issue was filed as a complaint and sent to the Texas Board of Nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing has full jurisdiction in all cases that may affect the status of an RN or LVN’s license in the future. But they advise nurses to attend a hearing first before placing the sentence, which the RN attended for her career’s security.
As a result, the Texas Board of Nursing placed her RN license to disciplinary action. It’s too bad that she failed to hire a nurse attorney for assistance, knowing that she had every reason to defend herself in the first place. Her defense would have gotten better if she actually sought legal consultation from a Texas nurse attorney as well.
So if you’re facing a complaint from the Board, it’s best to seek legal advice first. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is willing to assist every nurse in need of immediate help for nurse licensing cases. To contact him, please dial (832)-428-5679 for a confidential consultation or for more inquiries.