In the fast-paced and demanding environment of healthcare, accurate documentation, and adherence to established protocols are essential for patient safety and quality of care. Unfortunately, medical professionals may face challenges in meeting these requirements, leading to potential adverse outcomes and legal ramifications. To address the legal complexities arising from these incidents and safeguard the LVN’s professional standing, a nurse attorney can offer invaluable legal support and guidance throughout the process.
At the time of the initial incident, she was employed as an LVN at a hospital in Midland, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and five (5) months.
On or about November 17, 2021, while employed as an LVN at a hospital in Midland, Texas, LVN failed to correctly document the start and stop times of a blood transfusion for a patient as military time was not consistently used; and LVN failed to document transfusion end time and whether the patient experienced a reaction to the first transfusion. LVN’s conduct resulted in an inaccurate medical record and exposed the patient to a risk of harm in that subsequent care givers would not have accurate and complete information on which to base their care decisions.
Another incident happened on or about November 21, 2021, while employed as an LVN at a hospital in Midland, Texas, LVN failed to contact the physician for orders to access a PICC line after X-ray placement was confirmed for a patient; the patient did not timely receive parenteral nutrition as per orders. Subsequently, the patient received the first bag of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) at 0712 on November 22, 2021. LVN’s conduct exposed the patient to a risk of harm from nutritional deficits.
In response, LVN states when administering blood to the patient, she did not document the infusion time of the second unit, in military time. LVN states later she edited the time to reflect military time. LVN states she did assess the patient between the first and second units of blood. She also documented the patient’s vital signs, which were within normal range, between the first and second units. After the second unit was administered, LVN documented that there was no transfusion reaction. In response to the incident on November 21, 2021, LVN states she assisted the PICC technician and once the PICC line was placed, the family requested that LVN clean the patient as the patient was soiled. LVN states that by the time she completed the patient’s care, at approximately 11 pm to midnight on November 22, 2021, it was too late to hand the TPN bag that normally runs for 24 hours starting at 2000, and she had previously been instructed to avoid TPN wastage. LVN states that the patient had fluids infusing.
The above actions constitute grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(13) Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A),(1)(B),(1)(C),(1)(D),(1)(M),(1)(P)&(3)(A).
The Texas Board of Nursing gave the LVN enough time to defend the complaints filed against her. However, there was a failure on the LVN’s part to find the right RN/LVN license attorney to handle her case. The negligence of the RN/LVN license attorney led to the decision of the Texas BON to place the LVN’s license under disciplinary action.
Equip yourself with the knowledge and expertise you need for a successful outcome by consulting a knowledgeable and experienced Texas RN/LVN nurse attorney. 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. Contact the Law Office of Yong J. An 24/7 through text or call at (832) 428-5679 for a confidential consultation regarding any accusations from the Texas BON.