Integrity and adherence to established policies and procedures are fundamental pillars of nursing practice, especially when it comes to the responsible handling of medications and patient safety. Unfortunately, there are instances when nurses may deviate from these critical standards, raising serious concerns about both patient well-being and professional conduct. Nurses facing allegations or legal concerns can greatly benefit from the support and expertise of a nurse attorney. Nurse attorneys assist in formulating a robust defense strategy to mitigate potential professional and legal consequences.
At the time of the incident, she was employed as an RN at a medical facility in Georgetown, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) month.
On or about December 11, 2021, while employed as an RN at a medical facility in Georgetown, Texas, RN was accused of the following:
- RN withdrew Hydromorphone 1 mg/mL from the medication dispensing system for a patient but failed to follow the facility’s policy and procedure for wastage of the unused portion of the Hydromorphone (0.5mg). RN’s conduct left medications unaccounted for, was likely to deceive the hospital pharmacy, and placed the pharmacy in violation of Chapter 481 (Controlled Substances Act) of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
- RN misappropriated a syringe containing 0.5mg of Hydromorphone from the facility. Furthermore, after RN was questioned about the missing Hydromorphone, RN tampered with the syringe by adding water to it and returned it to the hospital pharmacy. RN’s conduct was likely to defraud the facility and patients thereof of the cost of the medication.
In response to the above incidents, RN states that she simply forgot about the Dilaudid vial in her scrub pants pocket, panicked, made a mistake, and then tried to fix her mistake.
The above actions constitute grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with Section 301.452(b)(10)&(14) Texas Occupations Code, and is a violation of 22 TEX ADMIN. CODE §217.11(1)(A)&(1)(B) and 22 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §217.12 (1)(A),(1)(B), (4),(6)(G),(8),(10)(C),(10)(E)&(11)(B).
However, without enough evidence to prove she’s not guilty, the RN lost the case. This is the reason why the Texas Board of Nursing placed her RN license under disciplinary action.
Do not be stressed or anxious if you find yourself in a similar situation as that of the RN mentioned above. All you need to do is to find the right RN/LVN license attorney who can help you in the case. Equip yourself with the knowledge and expertise you need for a successful outcome by consulting a knowledgeable and experienced Texas RN/LVN license attorney. Texas Nurse Attorney Yong J. An is an experienced nurse attorney for various licensing cases for the past 17 years and represented over 500 nurses before the Texas BON. Contact the Law Office of Yong J. An 24/7 through text or call at (832) 428-5679.