Accurate and thorough documentation is the backbone of patient care in the healthcare industry. It ensures that vital information is available to guide healthcare providers in making informed decisions. An LVN’s oversight can lead to an incomplete medical record, potentially placing the patient at risk. In situations like these, a nurse attorney can provide crucial assistance to nurses and healthcare facilities by assessing whether the LVN’s conduct constituted a breach of legal and professional standards, advocating for the patient’s well-being, analyzing documentation practices, and helping to implement measures to prevent such errors in the future.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an LVN at a hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas, and had been in that position for (1) year and three (3) months.
On or about September 4, 2021, while employed as an LVN at a hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas, LVN failed to ensure documentation of the 1200 blood pressure and 1600 mean arterial pressure (MAP) for a patient in the vitals flow sheet as required by unit specific practice. LVN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm in that subsequent care givers would not have complete information on which to base their care decisions.
In response to the above incident, LVN states that she was informally notified by her supervisor that she missed documenting a patient’s mean arterial pressure but was not counseled or questioned any further. LVN states that she may have missed documenting the MAP but states that she is not the kind of nurse to ignore her patient’s symptoms. LVN states that she cannot imagine not assessing her patient further to determine what intervention was required.
The above action constitutes grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13) Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C),(1)(D),(1)(M)&(3)(A) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(B),(1)&(4).
Unfortunately, the Texas Board of Nursing found her guilty of her deeds. Her LVN license was subjected to disciplinary action. She did not hire a skilled Texas nurse attorney to fully defend her case which led to this decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney who represented more than 500 nurse cases for RNs and LVNs for the past 17 years.