Every person who wants to become a professional LVN or RN in the state of Texas needs to go through several processes. This is the main reason why you should be careful when doing your job, or else, complaints might be filed against you. Without the help of a nurse attorney, you might get suspended by the Texas Board of Nursing.
First of all, there is a need to complete tertiary education in a nursing school. After graduation, the next step is to take the nursing board examination. The goal is to pass the said exam in order to become part of the professional nurses in Texas.
All these only show that the process is not really easy. Hence, every nurse must take care of her RN / LVN license. One wrong move can result to the suspension or revocation of the said license. The administrative body or agency that has the authority to hear cases regarding the nursing profession is the Texas Board of Nursing.
One recent cases filed before the Texas Board of Nursing involved a RN in Houston.
Monitors and monitored patients present special challenges to practicing nurses. Like a call bell, when alarms on a monitor are activated, they can signal benign or life-threatening events. In this case, a patient’s monitors did not alarm as expected. The patient was in distress and would be found without respirations and pulseless by the RN on duty.
The patient was a fourteen year old male with multiple medical conditions. Specifically, the patient was a quadriplegic, nonverbal and nonambulatory. He had a history of seizure disorder and at the time in question was NPO. Feedings were given through a gastrostomy tube.
The patient was on an apnea monitor due to an obstructive respiratory condition that required a tracheostomy to be placed.
A RN on duty specific to the patient with a tracheostomy is frequent suctioning. Because air inhaled through a tracheostomy bypasses the body’s natural filtering systems, dust and other pollutants are inhaled directly into the lungs. As a defense, large amounts of mucous are generated and must be cleared to maintain a patent airway.
The RN stated that the alarms had not sounded and when cardiac leads were removed to begin CPR, there were also “no alarms” heard. However, there are other witnesses that would state that lights on the monitor were flashing.
Additionally, the RN failed to collaborate with a collaborating physician. She also failed to appropriately monitor the patients for any alarming scenario; and failed to accurately document in the patients ‘ medical files.
The Texas BON found the RN’s conduct violates a section of Texas Occupations Code. Thus, her RN license was suspended and placed on probation.
The Texas Board of Nursing gave the RN sufficient time to defend the complaints filed against her. However, there was failure on the RN’s part to find the right nurse attorney to handle her case. The negligence of the nurse attorney led to the suspension of the defendant’s RN license.
Equip yourself with the knowledge and expertise you need for a successful outcome by consulting a knowledgeable and experienced Texas nurse attorney. Contact the Law Office of Yong J. An and text or call nurse attorney Yong 24/7 at (832) 428-4579.