Losing your license may greatly affect your future career, but only if you failed to hire a nurse attorney for the case. There are some RNs and LVNs who missed their chances to get their license saved from revocation just because they weren’t able to hire any nurse attorney to defend them. Unfortunately, this RN from El Paso, Texas happens to be one of them.
At the time of the incident, the RN was employed at a hospital in Frisco, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and nine (9) months.
The incident happened on or about August 17, 2018, through August 23, 2018, when the RN was assigned to a patient, the RN submitted visit notes for payment, for visits that were not conducted or conducted at different times than documented. The RN’s conduct resulted in an inaccurate medical record and was likely to defraud and deceive the facility of money paid to the RN for hours not actually worked. In addition, the RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient in that subsequent caregivers would rely on her documentation for further care.
Another conduct was committed by the RN when she inaccurately documented in the patient’s medical record, that she provided care to the patient in their home when she was not present at the patient’s home. This resulted in an inaccurate medical record and was likely to injure the patient in that subsequent caregivers would not have accurate information on which to base their care decisions.
This never ends here, as the RN did another improper conduct when the RN violated boundaries of the nurse/client relationship, in that she provided patient care in her personal home instead of caring for the patient and charting at the patient’s home. This conduct of the RN violated the professional boundaries of the nurse/client relationship and was likely to injure the patient in that it could have resulted in confusion between the needs of the nurse and those of the patient. In addition, the RN’s conduct may have caused delayed distress for the patient, which may not be recognized or felt by the patient until harmful consequences occur.
And lastly, the RN failed to follow the plan of care and/or physician’s order in that she failed to complete four (4) skilled nursing visits. The RN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient, in that failing to complete skilled nursing visits as ordered by a physician could have resulted in the patient not receiving the care they needed.
The RN’s response to the conduct that she committed was as follows: the RN states that for the dates during this period, she incorrectly provided documentation that care was rendered when it appears that some were not done so, confusing her dates of services. The RN states it was a mistake and a serious lapse in judgment. The RN states that due to an air conditioning unit issue at the patient’s home, she states she provided care to the patient at her home to decrease the continuous disruption of the non-functioning air conditioner. The RN states in good faith, she believed she was helping the patient by providing care in her own home. The RN states that the care provided was strictly professional and the patient was staying in her guest bedroom. The RN states she made entries of the patient’s care on the electronic documentation device in her home rather than the home of the patient. The RN states the electronic device was brought to her home by the patient’s caregiver as part of having the patient cared for at the RN’s home.
Unfortunately, without the lack of an effective nurse attorney to defend her case, the Texas Board of Nursing decided to take disciplinary action against the RN.
Losing your LVN or RN license can compromise your career. However, a skilled nurse attorney can greatly help you in major cases such as this. For assistance regarding your nurse license case, it’s best to contact Nurse Attorney Yong J. An by contacting him at (832) 428-5679.