Inaccurate medical records about a patient’s symptoms, diagnosis and/or medications can cause great harm to the patient as well as to the doctors and nurses assigned to take care of the patient. Their licenses could be at stake. Attorneys on the other hand are the ones who take care of and help medical practitioners with their cases. For RNs, they do not need just any attorney but a nurse attorney. A nurse attorney knows the best regarding cases filed against RNs. That is why RNs should consider hiring a nurse attorney for the defense.
At the time of the incident, RN was employed as the Director of Nursing at a hospital in Lewisville, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and nine (9) months.
On or about June 23, 2020, while employed as an RN and assigned as the Director of Nursing at a hospital in Lewisville, Texas, RN entered a new admission order for a laboring patient, adding an additional diagnosis of COVID-19. RN entered the admission order as a telephone order; however, RN did not receive any such verbal or written order from the physician to add the additional diagnosis to the admission order. RN’s conduct created an inaccurate medical record and exposed the patient to risk of injury from clinical care decisions made without a valid physician order.
In response to the above incident, RN states it is not her practice to edit physician documentation without first obtaining an order. RN further states she did amend this order at the request of the admissions supervisor to include the COVID-19 diagnosis.
The above action constitutes grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10)&(13), Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(D)&(1)(P) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A), (1)(B),(1)(C),(4)&(6)(A).
A case was ultimately filed against her before the Texas Board of Nursing (BON). The said allegation was fatal to the RN’s capability to perform the essential functions and duties. Sad to say, the nursing defense attorney who handled her case was not able to properly defend her interests and rights before the Board. The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) found her guilty of the offense alleged in the complaint and decided to place her RN license under disciplinary action.
If you also received a letter from the Texas Board of Nursing regarding a case or complaint filed against you, you should hire a nurse attorney immediately before it’s too late. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is one of those dedicated nurse attorneys who helped represent more than 300 nurse cases for the past 16 years. You may contact him 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 for more information or if you want to schedule a private consultation.