Accusations are stressful issues for an RN or LVN, except when a nurse attorney assists you against the case. The Texas Board of Nurses is responsible for all hearings against RNs and LVNs undergoing a case that may revoke suspend or only discipline their license. Take note that nurse attorneys can also defend a nurse’s license against accusations.
On or about April 3, 2018, while employed as a Registered Nurse in a medical facility in Lufkin, the RN failed to intervene appropriately for a patient when direct care staff reported to the RN that the patient had a change of condition, with shortness of breath, wheezing, and profuse sweating. She instructed the staff member to take the patient to the emergency room, instead of calling 911. When the patient arrived at the emergency room by private vehicle approximately twenty (20) minutes later, CPR was started but was unsuccessful, and the patient expired.
Her conduct resulted in a delay in emergency treatment for the patient that was needed to prevent further complications and may have contributed to the patient’s subsequent demise.
During the hearing, the RN states that she used her nursing judgment to have staff take the patient to the emergency room via the company van as opposed to calling 911 because she felt the resident assistant would have taken the time to call report to 911 and then wait for emergency medical services (EMS) to arrive. She states she knew that staff would have the resident to the emergency room faster than EMS. The RN states that the only symptom on the protocol for calling 911 was sweating which was listed under heart attack. She further notes that sweating was not uncommon for this patient. The RN states that she was never informed that the resident was having shortness of breath.
The Texas Board of Nursing then subjected the RN and her license into disciplinary action. The accusation would have been defended by an experienced and skilled nurse attorney, had the RN hired one. Hiring a nurse attorney for defense is applicable for any kind of accusation laid against an RN or LVN.
For more details and to schedule a confidential consultation, you must approach one of the most experienced nurse attorneys in Texas, Yong J. An. He has assisted numerous nursing license cases since 2006. You may contact him by dialing (832)-428-5679 if you wish to learn more information should you undergo accusations or any other case that may affect your license.