Every administered medication of patients should be accurately and completely documented. Also, it is very important that all medications should be administered to the patients correctly. But, if an RN made a mistake in administering the medication and failed to document the administration of the medication, he/she will be facing disciplinary action from the Board. If this happens, an RN should seek help from a nurse attorney. A nurse attorney can defend RNs from cases of documentation failure.
On or about May 10, 2020 through May 11, 2020, while employed as an RN at a hospital in Harlingen, Texas, and assigned to Labor & Delivery Unit, RN was accused of the following:
- RN withdrew Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen for patients, but failed to document, or accurately and completely document, the administration of the medications in the patients’ Medication Administration Record (MAR) and/or Nurse’s Notes. RN’s conduct created inaccurate medical records and was likely to injure the patients, in that subsequent care givers would rely on her documentation to further medicate the patients, which could result in an overdose. Furthermore, RN’s conduct placed the hospital in violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
- RN withdrew Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen for patients but failed to follow the facility’s policy and procedure for wastage of the unused portions of the medications. RN’s conduct left medications unaccounted for, was likely to deceive the hospital pharmacy, and placed the pharmacy in violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
- RN misappropriated six (6) tablets of Hydrocodone 325/5mg and two (2) tablets of Acetaminophen 500mg belonging to the facility and patients, thereof, or failed to take precautions to prevent such misappropriation. RN’s conduct was likely to defraud the facility and patients, thereof, of the cost of the medications, and is a violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
In response, RN states she attempted to scan medications, but was unable to do so due to the scanner (the whole computer) being locked. RN states she had no waste to document, however, she did make a mistake in that she returned 2 tablets of Aceta-Hydrocodone to the Acetaminophen bin when it should have been returned to the Aceta-Hydrocodone bin. RN states this was caught by a fellow nurse on the next shift, and she was told a discrepancy would be filed. RN states this was a mistake and in no way was this done on purpose. RN states there was no misappropriation of any medication. RN states there were 4 tablets of Aceta-Hydrocodone which were given to the patient as well as 2 tablets of Acetaminophen. RN states the remaining 2 tablets of Aceta-Hydrocodone were mistakenly returned to the Acetaminophen bin when she pulled the Acetaminophen. RN states there was no intent to defraud the facility or patient. RN states it was simply a mistake. RN states she was asked to take a urine drug test to which she complied.
The above actions constitute 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)(A)&(1)
However, without enough evidence to prove she’s not guilty, the RN lost the case. This is the reason why the Texas Board of Nursing placed her RN license under disciplinary action.
If you ever undergo cases such as this, it’s best to seek the assistance of a good nurse attorney as it could make the case better in your favor. Be sure to find a nurse attorney who is experienced and knowledgeable in several nurse cases to ensure the best assistance possible.
If you also received a letter from the Texas Board of Nursing regarding a case or complaint filed on you, you should hire a nurse attorney immediately before it’s too late. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is willing to assist every nurse in need of immediate help for nurse licensing cases. He is an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for the past 16 years and represented over 300 nurses before the Texas BON. To contact him, please dial (832)-428-5679 for a confidential consultation or for more inquiries.