Having a license is a privilege to all nurses. A license provides assurance to the public that a nurse that has a license does meet the predetermined standards in providing health care to their people who are sick. That is why a revoked or a suspended RN license can greatly affect an RN’s career and also their life, but this can be prevented if only an RN hires a nurse attorney for any cases they will be having. There are some RNs and LVNs who missed their chances to get their license saved from revocation just because they weren’t able to hire a nurse attorney to defend them.
An RN was employed as a registered nurse in a hospital in Denton, Texas, and had been in that position for approximately fourteen (14) and a half (1/2) years.
On or about June 14, 2019, through June 17, 2019, while employed in the hospital in Denton, Texas, the RN inappropriately accessed the medical record of the patient multiple times for reasons other than patient care and/or job-related functions. Respondent’s conduct violated patient confidentiality and was in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Regarding the incident, the RN states that there was absolutely no motivation for her to wrongfully access patient records. She then explains that when she was logged into the hospital computer system, she could only see a description of the patient if she highlighted the patient’s name. The RN states she never actually double-clicked on a patient’s name unless it was an assigned patient. She also explains that while on duty, most nurses typically claimed a computer/seat and it was normal for the nurse to just turn off the screen and not log off when they left the area. The RN believes it’s possible someone could have been logged in under her name and looked at patient records. Respondent states she did not wrongfully access or disclose any private health information in this case.
The RN’s explanations regarding the incident were never enough for the Board to believe her. The evidence received by the Board was sufficient to put the RN into disciplinary action.
As a result, her RN license was disciplined by the Texas Board of Nursing. She failed to hire a nurse attorney to fully defend her case led to this decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
It is best to seek help from a nurse attorney to prevent the worst thing to happen. Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of RN License Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for a nurse attorney.