A skilled and knowledgeable nurse attorney can provide utmost assistance over cases that you may deny committing. However, a lack of a nurse attorney could subject you and your license to any possible sanction depending on the severity of your misconduct.
At the time of the care at issue, an RN was employed as an Acute Care Adult Nurse Practitioner at a hospital in Waxahachie, Texas, and had been in that position for six (6) months.
On or about May 21, 2020, through December 8, 2020, while employed as an Acute Care Adult Nurse Practitioner, the RN implanted testosterone pellets into a patient, female patient with normal testosterone levels, without written protocols to follow regarding testosterone treatment. Additionally, the RN prescribed spironolactone off-label to the patient to address the side effects of increased testosterone levels. Testosterone is not approved for use in a female patient. The patient experienced elevated testosterone levels to 472 ng/dL. The RN’s conduct exposed the patient to a potential risk of harm from adverse effects of unnecessary testosterone dosing, including the risk of increased hemoglobin and hematocrit, and heart attack or stroke.
In response to the incident, the RN states that the patient was informed that implantable pellets are monitored by the FDA but are not approved for use in this context and are not regulated by the FDA; the patient signed the consent form which includes this information. The RN states that she prescribed spironolactone to help prevent the adverse effects of testosterone replacement, such as hirsutism and/or acne. The RN states that testosterone has been shown to address poor libido and decreased mood/cognition in women and has been used in women by many practitioners for many years.
Therefore, as a result, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) then decided to subject the RN and her license to disciplinary actions. The said discipline shall ensure the safety of the patient, along with a better future for the RN’s career. However, she should have contacted a nurse attorney in order to receive assistance regarding the case, especially if the RN sincerely thinks of it as an accusation.
For more details or for a confidential consultation regarding accusations, it’s best to contact an experienced nurse attorney. Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney who has helped RNs and LVNs defend against several cases since 2006. You can call him at (832) 428-5679 to get started or to inquire for more information regarding nursing license case defenses.