Any RN or LVN who violates the state laws and issuances from the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) should seek proper help from a nurse attorney. Doing so could make or break their cases. As a matter of fact, the RN license can even be suspended or revoked if not defended properly.
The disciplinary proceeding before the Texas Board of Nurse (BON) is an administrative proceeding wherein LVN / RN are charged for the commission of an offense or violation of certain state laws.
An RN is El Paso was one of the thousands of nurses charged before the Board. The complaint alleged that while employed, she failed to provide proper nursing care of a patient.
On or about February 14, 2011, while employed in a healthcare center El Paso, the RN failed to appropriately intervene when a patient was found in respiratory distress, with an increased respiratory rate and oxygen saturation of 80%.
Instead, the RN left the patient unattended while she was in distress. Upon return to the patient’s room, the RN failed to stay with the patient and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when the patient was found without a pulse or respirations.
The RN’s conduct resulted in a delay in emergency treatment for the patient that was needed to prevent further complications. As a defense to her case, the RN explains that upon initial assessment, the patient was not in any distress. She also states that shortly afterward, the medication aide reported that she had difficulty giving the patient medication by mouth, so she went to assess the patient. The RN states that the patient was not in acute distress but then started coughing, gurgling, and crying so she obtained vital signs and called another nurse.
She states that the other nurse came in, looked at the patient, and walked out, so she called and sent a text message to the on-call physician. The RN states that at that time, the pulse oxygenation was in the 80s with increased respirations, so she increased the patient’s oxygen and called the unit manager. The RN further states she then sent another call and text to the physician for an order to send the patient to the emergency room. She further explains that she then left the room to get a suction machine from the supply room, and when she came back, the patient was not breathing.
She told she asked a co-worker for assistance and the co-worker RN initiated CPR while the LVN called a code and 911. She further adds that the resident was pronounced deceased at 11:29 am.
The Texas Board of Nursing eventually found the RN guilty and her license was disciplined.
Do you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process? Contact The Law Office of Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for nurse attorney Yong.