As a nurse, you have a responsibility to give the best care you could offer to your patients. But because of some reasons, nurses tend to neglect proper care towards their patients. This happens when there is inadequate staffing in the workplace or long working hours. These reasons became the factors to which nurses will face the Texas Board of Nursing and will be disciplined. And when someone filed a complaint against a nurse (RN/LVN), their license could be put in suspension or much worse be revoked if not defended by a nurse lawyer.
This happened to an RN in Bryan, Texas. At the time of the initial incident, the RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Bryan, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and eleven (11) months.
On or about June 22, 2018, while employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Bryan, Texas, the RN failed to ensure the ultrafiltration rate had been set on the hemodialysis machine for the patient, as ordered. Additionally, on or about October 12, 2018, the RN failed to ensure that the correct fluid removal goal was set for the dialysis treatment of Patient Number 1907652. As a result, the patient’s blood pressure dropped and he became unresponsive, requiring fluid resuscitation and termination of treatment.
The RN’s conduct could have injured the patient from adverse effects of rapid fluid removal, including changes in blood pressure and cardiac status.
In response to this incident, the RN states that she verified the patient’s ultrafiltration (UF) goal and rate on the dialysis machine and also verified it with the patient. The RN states when she spoke to management, she was told what most likely happened was that the UF button was manually pushed off; the button is directly above the button on the machine to check the patient’s blood pressure. The RN adds that hindsight is 20/20 and she takes responsibility for not noticing and correcting it. The RN states that the patient did not have any adverse effects, he returned to his next treatment and was able to dialyze and reach his treatment weight with no complications.
In regards to the patient, the RN states that she takes responsibility for the goal set for this patient. She also states that the patient care tech set the patient’s goal for the amount of fluid he gained from his previous treatment, and she did not change it; the goal was above his limit and the patient experienced a hypotensive episode. The RN states that once she got to the patient, she bolused normal saline to the patient, administered oxygen, and his systolic reading was above 100.
Due to the negligence done by the RN, the RN was summoned by the Texas Board of Nursing and a notice was served in accordance and compliance with the law that the RN needs to comply with. The evidence received is sufficient cause pursuant to Section 301.452(b)(13), Texas Occupations Code, to take disciplinary action against the RN.
As a result, her RN license was disciplined by the Texas Board of Nursing. She failed to hire Texas BON lawyers to fully defend her case led to this decision by the Texas Board of Nursing.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of RN License Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for attorney Yong.