Being a nurse is rewarding indeed, despite the exhaustion that nurses feel. Seeing a patient recover from illness or has been in relief after the treatment is indeed a priceless moment to all nursing practitioners. It is also unavoidable that a nurse commits mistakes while on duty. A single mistake for nurses could bring great harm to patients. If this happens, the Board has the jurisdiction for such matter. But remember that a good nurse attorney can help you face the Board as your representative in court.
At the time of the incident, the LVN was employed as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at a hospital in Brownsville, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) month.
The incident happened on or about December 27, 2019, the LVN failed to timely initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a patient, who was a full code. The LVN’s conduct delayed emergency medical interventions needed to promote patient safety.
And in addition, the LVN failed to document the death of the patient, including the resident’s condition change, vital signs, time that CPR was started, and time that emergency medical services arrived. The LVN’s conduct resulted in an inaccurate and incomplete medical record.
In response to the incident, the LVN states that he was not the nurse who was assigned to the patient and also that around 3:30 a.m., another nurse and the certified nursing aide walked past the nurse’s station and waved at him to follow. He then states that when he arrived at the patient’s room, he observed the patient in a bed who did not appear to be breathing. The LVN states that upon closer assessment, he determined the patient was pulseless and apneic, very cold to the touch, and stiff as if in rigor mortis. The LVN states that he asked the nurse if the patient was on hospice and the other nurse replied that she did not know. The LVN states that they went to the nurse’s station to consult the patient’s chart and determined that the patient was a full code. The LVN states that he told the other nurse to go start CPR and he contacted the Director of Nursing to inform her of the situation. The LVN states that he proceeded to the patient’s room where he found the aide in the hallway crying and the other nurse not performing CPR. He also states that he started to perform compressions when he realized that the patient was on a mattress, so he asked the other nurse to get the CPR board. The LVN states that he did not think to ask for the crash cart or the automatic external defibrillator. The LVN states that the other nurse returned with the CPR board, which he placed under the patient and started to do compressions. He lastly states that when emergency response personnel arrived, they told him to stop.
The following incident that involves the LVN caused the Texas Board of Nursing to place the LVN and her license into disciplinary action. He should have sought assistance from a good nurse attorney to provide clarifications towards the case.
If you’ve ever done any errors or misdemeanor outside or during your shift as an RN or LVN, and you wish to preserve your career and your license, an experienced good nurse attorney is what you need. Nurse Attorney Yong J. An, an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for 14 years, can assist you by contacting him at (832) 428-5679.