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A nurse attorney is always available whenever you need help from their expertise in handling nurse licensing cases. They are capable of working with the Texas Board of Nursing to provide the utmost assistance that you need for your license and career. This is what a certain LVN from San Antonio, Texas  missed out when she failed to assess and appropriately intervene to correctly perform a medical treatment to a patient.

On or about May 15, 2016, while employed in a medical center in Tomball, the LVN failed to timely intervene and initiate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) when notified by the telemetry technician that a patient had a change in cardiac rate, and when the patient was in ventricular fibrillation. The LVN left the patient’s bedside to get a new cardiac lead, the patient continued to decline, the Charge Nurse was notified by the telemetry technician, and CPR was started thirteen (13) minutes later.  Subsequently, the patient was required to be coded and later expired.

Subsequently, the LVN failed to document in the medical record of the patient any and all care that was provided and assessments that were made of the patient.

As an explanation to the accusations, the LVN states that she was called by the telemetry technician with a request to go check on the patient. She further states that she went into the patient room, was called by the telemetry technician again, and informed her that she was with the patient at that time. She states that during these calls she was not informed the patient was in asystole or had a change in cardiac rhythm.

The LVN states that she assessed the patient to be breathing normally with a radial pulse but that one of the telemetry leads had become disconnected. She explains that she immediately went to get a replacement lead during which time she was called by the telemetry technician again who informed her that the patient was showing asystole rhythm.

The LVN states that she was shocked as she had just performed an assessment and was at the patient bedside. Respondent states he rushed back to the patient’s bedside, applied a sternal rub and found him to be unresponsive and without a pulse.

She states that she called the telemetry technician, but that there was an unclear connection and the telemetry technician stated she would call the Charge Nurse. The Charge Nurse arrive with the emergency crash cart one (1) minute later. The LVN states that she asked the Charge Nurse what the patient’s code status was, and then began preparing for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), which was administered for 3-4 minutes prior to the code team arriving. The LVN states that it was not until hours into her shift when she was able to chart regarding the patient however, she entered the information but chose to not submit/release it because she was planning on returning to charting later during her shift. The LVN states that when she went back to continue her charting that the patient had been discharged from the system and believed that this precluded her from further supplementing and completing her previously documented note.

The LVN adds that she is being used by the facility to bear primary responsibility for this incident leading up to the patient’s expiration.

Unfortunately, the Board of Nursing finds that the LVN’s conduct was likely to injure the patient from a delay in emergent medical interventions. Thus, her license was suspended and disciplined.

The story of the LVN is just one of the hundreds of cases which could have been properly investigated and judged had the LVN seek help from a right nurse attorney.

If you wish to get your license defended during a case that you did not directly commit, it is best to contact an experienced nurse attorney for assistance. To do so, you may contact Nurse attorney Yong J. An by dialing (832) 428-5679 for inquiries or consultation.