It is appropriate for nurses and clients/patients to have a professional boundary. It is also one of the responsibilities of nurses to clearly establish and maintain professional boundaries with clients or patients. Appreciative patients give presents as a thank you gift to a nurse, but it depends on what kind of gift a nurse is receiving from a patient. If not, the Texas Board of Nursing will call it to their attention you as a nurse receiving expensive gifts from patients. Such a rule exists to avoid confusion of the relationship between a nurse to a patient and a patient to a nurse. But if being complained about such a matter, it is best to hire a nurse attorney for the defense.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Facility Manager at a hospital in Mesquite, Texas, and had been in that position for four (4) years and three (3) months.
It was on or about August 21, 2018, when the RN inappropriately accepted a gift of a vehicle from the client. The RN’s conduct exploited the client’s vulnerabilities, caused financial loss to the patient, and resulted in confusion between the RN’s needs and those of the client.
In response, the RN states the client had requested to stay at Care Home and it should be noted that she was never hired to provide any nursing services at the said facility. The RN states she was a friend of the client and they had a longstanding relationship. She states in October 2017, the RN had been hospitalized and needed assistance with the discharge of the client asked the RN if she would be her agent through a power of attorney in the event of an emergency (ie. Death, etc.). The RN states she accepted this responsibility but never had to take any acts pursuant to the power of attorney. The RN states client determined she could no longer safely drive given the incident at her former apartment and as a result, the client requested RN to accept the vehicle transfer as a gift given their longstanding friendship. Again, the RN states their relationship was that of two friends, not that of nurse-patient and there were never any nursing services.
The evidence received is sufficient to prove violation(s) of 22 TEX ADMIN CODE and pursuant to Section 301.452 (b) (10), of the Texas Occupations Code, to take disciplinary action against the RN. The RN should have sought assistance from a good nurse attorney to provide clarifications on the case. Having a good and reliable nurse attorney around during a trial or any proceedings can result in a different outcome.
If you’ve ever done any errors or misdemeanors outside or during your shift as an RN or LVN, and you wish to preserve your career and your license, an experienced nurse attorney is what you need. You may contact Nurse Attorney Yong J. An, an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for 16 years, can assist you by contacting him at (832) 428-5679.