The work of RNs and LVNs is often unappreciated even if their jobs are to take care of the well-being of every patient. We sometimes neglect to appreciate their demanding jobs wherein they can be stressed and exhausted but they are still doing their best to provide the best care they could offer to their patients. And sometimes due to exhaustion and stress, they tend to be negligent that they don’t know might lead them to a more serious scenario such as filing a suit against them. If this happens to an RN, they should know how to protect and defend themselves. If not properly defended by a nurse attorney, their license could even be suspended or revoked.
An incident that an RN from Abilene committed in August 2019 was one of those examples. At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse in a hospital in Abilene, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) month.
On or about August 20, 2019, while employed at the same hospital, the RN failed to correctly verify and administer insulin to a patient. Specifically, the nurse aide reported to the RN that the patient’s blood glucose was two hundred and fifty-six (256), though the correct blood glucose of two hundred and thirty-five (235) was noted in the glucometer. Additionally, the RN incorrectly documented the blood glucose reading as two hundred and fifty-six (256), in the patient’s medical record. Subsequently, the patient was administered two (2) additional units of insulin that were ordered based on the sliding scale insulin order. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient from the adverse effects of critically low blood glucose.
In response to the incident, the RN states that on this date, she was still on orientation and working with a preceptor. She also states that she actually observed the nurse aide go into the patient room and a few moments later the nurse aide came out of the room and informed her that the blood sugar was two hundred and fifty-six (256).
She also stated that she accepted the verbal reading from the aide. She also said that she will take full responsibility in not independently verifying the blood sugar, but as she had just observed the aide taking the reading, she did not think the number would be wrong and that she did administer three units of insulin, instead of unit two units, based on the sliding scale orders for the patient. Thus, this concludes the violation of the RN.
The RN has violated the Section 301.452(b)(10) &(13) of the Texas Occupations Code that says:
Sec. 301.452. GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
(a) In this section, “intemperate use” includes practicing nursing or being on duty or on-call while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
(b) A person is subject to denial of a license or to disciplinary action under this subchapter for:
(1) a violation of this chapter, a rule or regulation not inconsistent with this chapter, or an order issued under this chapter;
(2) fraud or deceit in procuring or attempting to procure a license to practice professional nursing or vocational nursing;
(3) a conviction for, or placement on deferred adjudication community supervision or deferred disposition for, a felony or for a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;
(4) conduct that results in the revocation of probation imposed because of conviction for a felony or for a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;
(5) use of a nursing license, diploma, or permit, or the transcript of such a document, that has been fraudulently purchased, issued, counterfeited, or materially altered;
(6) impersonating or acting as a proxy for another person in the licensing examination required under Section 301.253 or 301.255;
(7) directly or indirectly aiding or abetting an unlicensed person in connection with the unauthorized practice of nursing;
(8) revocation, suspension, or denial of, or any other action relating to, the person’s license or privilege to practice nursing in another jurisdiction or under federal law;
(9) intemperate use of alcohol or drugs that the board determines endangers or could endanger a patient;
(10) unprofessional conduct in the practice of nursing that is likely to deceive, defraud, or injure a patient or the public;
(11) adjudication of mental incompetency;
(12) lack of fitness to practice because of a mental or physical health condition that could result in injury to a patient or the public; or
(13) failure to care adequately for a patient or to conform to the minimum standards of acceptable nursing practice in a manner that, in the board’s opinion, exposes a patient or other person unnecessarily to risk of harm.
And because of this incident, the Texas Board of Nursing placed the RN and her license into disciplinary proceedings. 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.
Due to the mistakes or negligence made by the RN, 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 avoid such a 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.