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. A Nurse can face a lot of accusations, allegation cases, or complaints cases and they will face the Texas Board of Nursing to formally follow procedures. But if a nurse is experiencing such circumstances, a nurse attorney can be their defense and can assist them in dealing with the cases they are facing.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Travel Nurse at a hospital in Austin, Texas, and had been in this position for one (1) year.
It was on or about March 1, 2013, when the RN failed to administer, or document the administration of, Depakote, an anticonvulsant medication, as ordered for the patient. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that the failure to administer the medication as ordered by the physician, or the failure to maintain a complete and accurate medical record, could have resulted in the non-efficacious treatment of the patient’s behavioral health condition.
And on or about March 15, 2013, the RN failed to administer Coumadin, an anticoagulant medication, as ordered for a Patient. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that the failure to administer the medication as ordered by the physician could have resulted in the non- efficacious treatment of the patient’s atrial fibrillation.
Then on or about March 15, 2013, the RN also failed to notify the physician when a Patient experienced sustained low blood pressure readings. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient from a delay in the timely medical interventions needed to stabilize the patient’s blood pressure.
While on or about March 17, 2013, the RN failed to document that a patient had an adverse reaction to Methadone. Additionally, the RN failed to document follow-up vital signs for four (4) hours after the adverse reaction was treated. The RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and was likely to injure the patient in that subsequent caregivers would not have accurate and complete information on which to base their care decisions.
In response to the incidents, regarding the first Patient, the RN states that he administered medication to the patient between 09:14 and 09:36. Regarding the second Patient, the RN states that the medication order was not in the system until 2344. The RN also states that medication doses were held routinely on this patient because of low blood pressure and this was not a change in condition for the patient. The RN states that he contacted the charge nurse, who wrote the notes on the event, while he personally accompanied the patient off the unit for testing and administered reversal medication as ordered.
In conclusion, the information received has produced evidence against the RN. The Texas Board of Nursing has subjected the RN to take disciplinary action and has been put on suspension.
The decision of the Board can result differently if only the RN had hired someone who can defend him. And that someone is a nurse attorney who has many years of experience handling nurse cases.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for attorney Yong.