If you are a nurse that is practicing nursing in the state of Texas, it is important to be aware of what type of cases are brought about by the Texas Board of Nursing. This is why you need to be prepared and hire a nurse attorney when such a thing happens.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and had been in that position for four (4) months.
On or about April 10, 2016, while employed as a Registered Nurse and caring for a Patient, the RN failed to unclamp the secondary intravenous tubing through which the patient’s scheduled vancomycin was to infuse, which delayed the administration of the medication. Subsequently, the patient’s morning vancomycin trough level was not within the therapeutic range. The RN’s conduct could have contributed to the injury of the patient in that failure to correctly administer the ordered medication resulted in non-efficacious treatment.
On or about July 29, 2016, while employed as a Registered Nurse and caring for a Patient, the RN failed to document hourly assessments of the patient’s peripheral intravenous site, per policy. The RN only documented three (3) peripheral intravenous (IV) assessments during his shift. The RN’s conduct resulted in an incomplete medical record and could have contributed to the injury of the patient in that subsequent caregivers did not have accurate and complete information on which to base their decisions for further care.
In response to the incident, the RN states that the IV pumps were known for causing errors in administration, especially with piggybacked medications. The RN states that this incident is chiefly the result of a systems error. In addition, the RN states that in order for nursing staff for the night shift to meet the policies dictated by administrators, appropriate staffing needed to be maintained for the acuity of the patient census, and this was not done. The RN states that while the day shift staff did document approximately every hour, there were four (4) nurses involved in this documentation. Respondent states that he did not have equal resources on the night shift.
Upon further investigation, the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) summoned the LVN to defend against her case. But despite her claims, the Texas Board of Nursing still placed her under disciplinary action. She could have hired an attorney for the case to ensure that her defense will prove that she is sincerely improving her duties as an RN.
So if you’re summoned by the Board for a hearing against your case if you ever did a minor mistake at work, it’s best to consult a nurse attorney first. For further information or if you wish to schedule a private consultation, Nurse Attorney Yong J. An, can assist you by dialing his number at (832) 428-5679. Nurse Attorney Yong J. An, is an experienced nurse attorney who handled various nurse cases since 2006.