Any type of accusations or negligence can be defended, as long as there is a skilled Dallas nurse lawyer ready to assist you during the hearing before the Board of Nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing has full jurisdiction regarding cases that may affect an RN or LVN’s license from suspension, disciplinary action or revocation.
Accusations regarding negligence and medical documentation error are a must to be observed properly not only by the Board but by a nurse attorney. An example of this happened to an LVN in Dallas.
At the time of the initial incident, the LVN was employed as a Staff Nurse in a hospital in Dallas and had been in that position for four months.
On or about October 27, 2015 and October 29, 2015 respectively, the LVN failed to administer Atorvastin 20 mg by mouth at 9 pm, and a second dose of intravenous Clindamycin 600mg six (6) hours after the first dose as ordered, to a patient. Her conduct was likely to injure the patient in that failure to administer medication(s) as ordered by the physician could have resulted in non-efficacious treatment.
On or about October 28, 2015, the LVN failed to notify the physician that she did not administer intravenous Methylprednisolone to a patient, as ordered, after documenting earlier that the patient had refused to have a new intravenous access site established. Her conduct was likely to injure the patient in that failure to administer medication(s) as ordered by the physician could have resulted in non-efficacious treatment.
On or about November 16, 2015, the LVN failed to document the refusal of a patient to be transferred from the patient’s chair back to the patient’s bed and inappropriately left the patient in the chair the entire twelve hour shift. Her conduct was likely to injure the patient from undetected progression of clinical complications, including those associated with possible tissue and skin breakdown.
On or about November 17, 2015, the LVN failed to administer Vancomycin and Zosyn to a patient as ordered, and failed to notify the physician of the missed doses. Her conduct was likely to injure the patient from non-efficacious care and clinical care decisions formulated based upon incomplete information.
On or about February 11, 2015, she again failed to notify the charge nurse or another appropriate supervisor when she left the unit multiple times for extended periods of time and did not obtain coverage for her patients. Her conduct was likely to injure patients in that leaving the nursing assignment could have resulted in the patients not getting the care that they needed.
On or about February 18, 2016, the LVN left her assigned unit multiple times without notifying the Team Leader or other appropriate supervisor and without obtaining coverage for her patients. Instead, she told a coworker that she was in the Physical Therapy department “sleeping for a bit”. Her conduct was likely to injure patients in that leaving the nursing assignment could have resulted in the patients not getting the care that they needed.
During the hearing, the LVN states Atorvastin was administered per order to the patient however the medication did not scan into BCMA system. In regards to the other patient, the LVN states she has no recollection of these patients or of the missed or late medications. She further states the physician had been contacted prior to the IV infiltrating and being discontinued on the patient, and was instructed by the physician that she was not to contact him again. The incident was reported to House Supervisor after IV infiltrated and patient refused to have a new IV inserted therefore the Methylprednisolone medication was missed.
The LVN agrees that the physician should have been notified anyway and will not repeat this mistake again. According to the LVN, the patient was a 33year old male with no skin issues who refused to go to bed and was capable of making decisions regarding activities of daily living (ADL). She and her assigned CNA offered the patient assistance back to bed; however, the patient continually refused throughout the shift.
In response to the incident on February 11, 2015, the LVN states she did not leave the floor except for assigned breaks and that she always had the hospital issued phone on her even when off the clock for lunch. However, with the incident noted on February 18, 2016, she states she was experiencing chest pain/pressure during the shift as well as nausea and vomiting about which she notified the House Supervisor on duty at the time but was advised that she could not leave because there was no one who could relieve her of assigned shift.
The LVN continues to state that she did take medication offered to her by the House Supervisor for her stomach, placed her head down at the desk, and went into the Physical Therapy (PT) department which is adjacent to nursing station to use the restroom and make personal calls. However, the House Supervisor was aware of her making personal calls and resting at the desk and she was advised by her that she could do so.
Because of the following incident, the Texas Board of Nursing then subjected the LVN and her license into disciplinary action.
The accusation would have been defended by an experienced and skilled Dallas nurse lawyer had the LVN hired one. Hiring a Dallas nurse lawyer 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 Dallas nurse lawyer Atty. Yong J. An. He has assisted numerous nursing license cases since 2006. You may contact him by dialing (832)-428-567 if you wish to learn more information should you undergo accusations or any other case that may affect your license.