Criminal cases have been a signature specialty of a nurse attorney when handling cases 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.
In Lufkin, an LVN accused of killing five of her patients and injuring five others by injecting bleach into their kidney dialysis tubing was found guilty of capital murder.
The 38-year-old LVN was fired in April 2008 after a rash of illnesses and deaths at a Lufkin dialysis clinic. She was charged a year later.
Two patients who were at the clinic on April 28, 2008, testified that they saw the LVN use syringes to draw bleach from a cleaning bucket and then inject it into the IV lines of two patients who subsequently died.
Her trial began on March 5. Defense lawyers argued that the LVN was being targeted by the clinic’s owner for faulty procedures at the facility, including improper water purification. They also suggested that officials at the clinic fabricated evidence. Prosecutors described claims the LVN was being set up by her employer as “absolutely ridiculous.”
The mother of two now faces life in prison or a death sentence. Prosecutors had said they would seek the death penalty if the LVN was convicted.
Prosecutors had described Saenz as a depressed and disgruntled employee who complained about specific patients, including some of those who died or were injured. Her attorneys said she had no motive to kill any patients.
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 LVN attended for her career’s security.
As a result, the Texas Board of Nursing placed her LVN license to disciplinary action. It’s too bad that she failed to hire a nurse attorney for assistance if 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.