Losing your license may greatly affect your future career, but only if you failed to hire a nurse attorney for your 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 properly defend them.
On or about August 28, 2013, through August 29, 2013, while employed as a Staff Nurse in a rehabilitation center in Houston, the LVN signed out the following medications but failed to accurately and completely document the administration of these medications on the Patient’s Medication Administration Records or MAR:
2 Hydrocodone 10/325 tablets
2 Hydrocodone 7.5/325 tablets
8 Hydrocodone 5/325 tablets,
1 Zolpidem 5mg
2 Lorazepam
1 Temazepam 15mg tablet
1 Temazepam 7.Smg tablet
1 Hydromorphone 2mg tablet
1 Alprazolam O.Smg tablet
1 Morphine 15mg tablet
This conduct by the LVN was likely to injure the patients in that subsequent care givers would rely on her documentation to further medicate the patients, which could result in an overdose. Additionally, her conduct placed the hospital in violation of Chapter 483 (Dangerous Drugs Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
The LVN was summoned by the Texas Board of Nursing to defend herself. During the defense, she states that due to time constraints, she was unable to document the medications on the medication administration record for each patient. She further states that she was able to document the as-needed and scheduled narcotic medications on the controlled drug record, and since future caregivers would have to check there before administering medication, then the patients were not in any danger of medication overdose.
The LVN further adds that she was contacted by the Director of Nursing to complete the documentation but when she returned to the facility, the unit manager informed her that she was not allowed in the building and was asked to leave the premises.
However, her defense was too weak because the failure to hire an experienced nurse attorney to properly defend her side. Because of this, the LVN has been subjected for discipline and her license was suspended.
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.