Nurses are always at risk for accusations of medical malpractice. If someone filed a complaint against you, your license could be put in danger if not defended by a nurse attorney. An RN from Tyler, Texas is just one of the many examples of nurses who were charged with medical malpractice and failed to hire an effective nurse attorney.
On or about March 27, 2018, an RN from Tyler initiated administration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to a patient at a rate of 88ml/hr, instead of 25ml/hr as per physician orders. Her conduct exposed the patient to a risk of harm in that failure to administer TPN as ordered by the physician could have resulted in the non-efficacious treatment of the patient’s condition.
On or about April 11, 2018, the same RN administered two incompatible medications, calcium gluconate, and sodium phosphate, simultaneously into the central venous catheter (CVC) of a patient, causing the medications to crystalize and clot the aforementioned catheter; subsequently, the patient underwent a procedure to replace the central venous catheter.
Her conduct contributed to the patient requiring a second procedure and was likely to injure the patient from adverse complications of crystalized medications and CVC insertion, including damage to central veins and bleeding.
On or about July 1, 2018, the RN improperly labeled blood specimens for a patient, resulting in the blood sample not being tested by the lab as per physician orders; the patient required an additional blood specimen to be obtained and forwarded to the lab for testing. Her conduct exposed the patient to risk of harm from delay of diagnosis and treatment using lab result data.
On or about August 18, 2018, through August 20, 2018, the same RN withdrew narcotic medications from the medication dispensing system for three patients but failed to follow the facility’s policy for wastage of the unused portions of the medications. Her conduct left the medications unaccounted for and placed the pharmacy in violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
On the same date, the RN inaccurately documented in the Medication Administration Record of a patient that she administered two doses of 0.8 mg hydromorphone and 1 mg of lorazepam when there were no medication withdrawals from the medication dispensing system associated with the time or date of administration. Her conduct created an inaccurate medical record and failure to administer medications as ordered by the physician could have resulted in non-efficacious treatment.
In response to the incidents, the RN states both she and her preceptor read the TPN order incorrectly and administered the TPN at the incorrect rate. In response to the other incident, the RN states the medications were co-administered through the central line at the direction of her preceptor.
The RN further states she realized something was wrong with the lab results and worked with lab staff to figure out what happened. Further, she states the labs were immediately and properly labeled, and the patient was treated with electrolytes on time, without any delay in treatment.
The RN states upon notification of the medication errors, she immediately offered to submit to drug testing and also worked with the Nurse Residency Educator that same day to complete the medication variance reports. She further states upon completion of the medication variance reports, they were able to account for each medication, including one dose of Ativan that was not properly scanned.
The RN states she noticed an abnormal heart rhythm on the monitor and went into the room to assess the patient, who was sleeping. She also states she was unaware that she was supposed to notify the provider.
Because of this, the RN was disciplined by the Texas Board of Nursing. Furthermore, the RN failed to hire a nurse attorney to help her with her case.
If someone filed a case against you involving malpractice or negligence, it is wise to consult with a nurse attorney who knows everything about nurse cases.
Consult with Texas nurse attorney Yong J. An today if you have any questions about your disciplinary process. Contact the Law Office of Yong J. An and text or call attorney Yong 24/7 at (832) 428-4579