It’s best to seek the help of a nurse attorney when facing different complaints and allegations about not following policy and procedure of documenting wastage of medication. However, there are nurses that tend to face the results instead without thinking that nurse attorneys are always reliable for matters such as these.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in San Angelo, Texas, and had been in that position for five (5) months.
On May 14, 2018, an RN was working the day shift at the Thoracic Progressive Care Unit (PCU) of a hospital in San Angelo, Texas. A Patient was transferred to the PCU immediately after surgery. The patient had a physician’s order for 5 mg/5 mL oral suspension of oxycodone every four hours as needed for pain and 50 mg of tramadol every six hours.
On the morning of May 14, 2018, the RN withdrew one unit of oxycodone and one unit of tramadol from the medication dispensing system for a Patient. The RN failed to take precautions to secure the Patient’s oxycodone and tramadol in that she lost the medications without a valid excuse.
The RN prepared Pharmacy Variance Reports to indicate she lost the Patient’s medications but failed to follow policy and procedure to document wastage of the Patient’s unused oxycodone and tramadol in the MAR and/or Nurse’s Notes. The RN’s loss of the Patient’s medications was serious. The RN did not administer oxycodone to the Patient, so she was not required to record that she administered the medication to the Patient in the Medical Administration Record (MAR).
The RN’s failures to take precautions to secure the Patient’s medications and to document the wastage of the Patient’s medications are subject to sanction as unprofessional conduct that was likely to deceive, defraud, or injure a patient or the public.
The RN’s failures to take precautions to secure the Patient’s medications and to document the wastage of the Patient’s medications are subject to sanction as a failure to meet minimum standards of nursing practice.
Because of the incident above, the Texas Board of Nursing decided to put her into the discipline as a result of her actions. But she failed to hire a good nurse attorney for the case, which is why her defense was not matched with the evidence that the Board possesses.
A good nurse attorney is always the best line of defense for these cases. This is the reason why Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is dedicated to helping those nurses in need to settle their cases. For a private consultation and other inquiries, it’s best to contact him for assistance by dialing (832)-428-5679.