An allegation or complaint could be a serious case, which is why a nurse attorney is needed if you get accused of this kind of scenario. However, some who thought they were guilty of the charges failed to hire a nurse attorney just because they thought it’s doom for their license already. But that is not entirely the case as there is still hope.
At the time of the incident, an LVN was employed as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at a hospital in Bryan, Texas, and had been in that position for four (4) months.
It was on or about January 2018, through May 2018, the LVN failed to fully assess a patient for wounds, and thus failed to notify the physician regarding the aforementioned patient’s change in a condition regarding new developing wounds to the patient’s feet. Moreover, the LVN failed to adequately
document wound care to a patient. Subsequently, the patient required hospitalization for extensive necrosis and wound infection of the sacrum with osteomyelitis and multiple deep tissue injuries and ulcerations to her bilateral lower extremities. The LVN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient due to inadequate assessment and treatment of wounds. In addition, the LVN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete and inaccurate medical record and was likely to injure the patient in that subsequent caregivers did not have complete and accurate information on which to base their decisions for further care.
In response to the incidents, the LVN states that she was hired by the facility in August 2017 as a Licensed Vocational Nurse and received three days of training to work a twenty-eight-bed hall. The LVN states that she worked four months as a Licensed Vocational Nurse on the floor and was offered a promotion to nurse manager/wound care coordinator in January 2018 by the Director of Nursing Services. The LVN states that she agreed to the promotion with the agreement of getting sufficient training by the previous wound care nurse prior to her resignation and attending a wound care class. The LVN states that she followed the wound care nurse on the floor for one day, but received no further training on documentation or any other training due to the facility being short-staffed and the wound care nurse taking vacation time during the remainder of her two-week notice. The LVN states that the Director of Nursing Services always promised to come and show the LVN everything when she got time, but never followed through. The LVN states that she diet a lot of self-education and asked questions, but
never received any formal training.
In addition, the LVN states that she requested wound care training on multiple occasions from the Director of Nursing Services and Administrator. The LVN states that she was told to find a class and they would get back to her. She also states that found a two-day training class in Dallas, Texas, but was declined due to the cost of the class. The LVN states that she cared for the patient per physician order with the wound VAC [vacuum-assisted closure of a wound]. The LVN states that at times she noticed feces in the wound and the dressing was not changed on the days she was not at work. The LVN states that she notified the Director of Nursing Services and held an in-service for nursing staff. The LVN states that she noticed that the wound was not getting any better and she requested the Director of Nursing Services to come and take a second look. When the Director of Nursing Services finally agreed, she stated that the wound looked fine and to continue with the wound VAC. The LVN states that she took a vacation in April and gave a report to another nurse who was covering for her in her absence. The LVN states that when she gave a report on the patient to the other nurse, she stated that the wound VAC had been ineffective and she planned to call and get an order to discharge the device. The other nurse agreed to get the order. The LVN states that when she returned the wound VAC had been discontinued and new treatment orders were in place. The LVN states she continued to care for the patient per the physician’s order. The VLN states that in early May 2018, she detected a change in the patient’s condition and called the Nurse Practitioner who came to see the patient. The LVN states that at that time the wound was not necrotic and the patient was beginning to have deep tissue injuries to her feet due to the patient’s inability to reposition herself. The LVN states that she cared for the patient per physician order, but she thinks her documentation did not reflect as well as it should have due to her not getting the proper training needed to succeed in the position.
However, the Texas Board of Nursing disciplined her license because they think that her conduct was likely to injure the patient from lack of appropriate nursing and medical care.
If you ever undergo cases such as this, it’s best to seek the assistance of a good nurse attorney as it could make the case better in your favor. Be sure to find a nurse attorney who’s experienced and knowledgeable in several cases to ensure the best assistance possible.
If you also received a complaint 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 lawyers who helped various RNs 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.