We all expect nurses to bring the best quality of care to us, patients. And we sometimes complain if our expectations are not met. These complaints and accusations can cause them big time. It can cause their license to get suspended or get revoked. This is why the need to hire a nurse attorney for any case is very important.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Staff Nurse in the Interventional Radiology Department at a medical facility in Carrollton, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and two (2) months.
The incident happened on or about January 7, 2014, the RN failed to order a culture and sensitivity on pleural fluid, as ordered following a thoracentesis on a patient, and only ordered a gram stain. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure patients from the non-efficacious treatment of their disease processes.
And on or about September 25, 2014, the RN failed to check the medication status of a patient prior to a liver biopsy. During the liver biopsy, the RN found a Fentanyl patch for pain on the right shoulder of the aforementioned patient. In addition, the RN didn’t know that the patient was on Nortriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant that potentiated a movement disorder. The patient had a reaction to the sedation becoming confused and moving uncontrollably, and required sedation reversal medication and D50 intravenously. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient by depriving the physician of vital information that would be required to base decisions for care and/or prevent complications.
Lastly, on or about December 11, 2014, the RN also failed to have sedation reversal agents or appropriate oxygenation supplies readily available for a patient, who was undergoing an ultrasound procedure with sedation. Sedation can result in respiratory depression with a resulting decrease in oxygenation, which would necessitate oxygen administration via an oxygen mask and administration of sedation reversal medication. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that it could have resulted in a delay of emergent interventions if the patient developed respiratory depression.
In response, the RN states that she did forget to take the reversal kit for this procedure, but did have the sedation kits and oxygen nasal cannula. She relates that after the physician took a specimen during the procedure, the patient’s oxygen saturation dropped to 88%. She states that the oxygen was increased to six (6) liters per minute, she used a jaw thrust to further open the patient’s airway, and the patient’s oxygen saturation came up to 90%. And she adds that the physician asked if she had the reversal kit, and she told him no. And also states that the patient holding area brought the reversal kit several minutes later. She indicates that the patient’s vital signs were stable, and his oxygen saturation was 93% on six (6) liters of oxygen, she released the patient’s jaw, and the physician didn’t want the reversal given. Then the RN adds that in retrospect, she would take a face mask, a non-rebreather, and reversal drugs to every sedated procedure.
As a result of the RN’s misconduct, the RN’s license was disciplined. The evidence received is sufficient cause pursuant to Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13), Texas Occupations Code, to take disciplinary action against the RN. The disciplinary action was imposed by the Texas Board of Nursing and lead to RN surrendering her license. This may never happen if only the RN had known the ways to defend her license from such a scenario and if only the RN had hired a nurse attorney for her case.
Regarding a case or complaint filed on you, you should hire a nurse attorney immediately before it’s too late. Texas nurse attorney Yong J. An is one of those dedicated nurse lawyers who have helped various nurses in their cases since 2006. You may contact him 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 for more information or if you want to schedule a private consultation.