When a nurse has violated Board rules, the Texas Board of Nursing must impose a disciplinary sanction against an RN/LVN. A nurse is required to assist in the determination of the healthcare needs of patients and, among other things, perform comprehensive nursing assessments regarding the health status of the client, implement nursing care, and evaluate the patient’s responses to nursing interventions. But if a nurse is experiencing such a problem, a nurse attorney can be their line of defense that can assist them in dealing with the cases they are facing.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Killeen, Texas, and had been in that position for six (6) months.
In the 24 hours prior to 19:00 on January 11, 2019, a Clinical Emergency Response Team (CERT) had twice been called to the patient’s room to deal with abnormal medical conditions, including low blood pressure, abnormally low blood oxygen saturation, and a high respiratory rate. The RN was advised of these two prior CERT calls when he began his shift.
The last CERT intervention at approximately 15:20 prescribed a number of medications and procedures that were not completed by the time the RN began his shift at 19:00. During the shift prior to the RN’s shift, medical personnel had requested that the patient be moved to an Intermediate Medical Unit (IMU) bed. That request remained in effect into the RN’s shift.
On January 11, 2019, at 19:19, the patient’s vital signs indicated abnormal medical conditions including low blood pressure, abnormally low blood oxygen saturation, and a high respiratory rate. At approximately 20:45, the RN administered prescribed intravenous medications to the patient.
At 23:32, the patient’s vital signs continued to indicate abnormal medical conditions that had not significantly improved from 19:19, including low blood pressure, abnormally low oxygen saturation, and an even higher respiratory rate. Despite the abnormal vital signs indicated at 23:32, the RN did not document any planned response for addressing the patient’s condition
At 23:42, a Code Blue was initiated to address the patient’s abnormal medical attention. The patient was pronounced dead at 00:40 on January 12, 2020. Between 19:00 and the Code Blue, the RN did not initiate a CERT call to address the patient’s condition.
Between 19:00 at the Code Blue, the RN did not request a reduction in his patient responsibility or the assignment of a floater nurse to assist him in dealing with the patient. Between 19:00 and the Code Blue, the RN did not initiate a “safe harbor” that would have indicated his concern that the patient was not being cared for properly.
If additional assistance for the patient had been requested during the RN’s shift, the patient may not have died on January 12, 2019, or at least would have suffered less pain and distress.
The RN is subject to sanction because he failed to conform to accepted standards of nursing practice, in that he failed to perform comprehensive nursing assessments regarding the health status of the patient, implement nursing care, and evaluate the client’s responses to nursing interventions and a lot more factors that lead to the sanction received by the RN.
Make sure that you find the right nurse attorney in case a complaint will be filed against you before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). Consult with Texas nurse attorney Yong J. An today if you have any questions about your disciplinary process by calling or texting him at (832) 428-5679 day, night or weekends.