The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) is the government agency that has jurisdiction to hear and decide administrative cases involving RN and LVN in Texas. It is also the agency that is responsible for overseeing the practice of professional nursing all over the state of Texas. Any RN or LVN who is guilty of violating state laws and issues from the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) may be subjected to penalties or fines if not properly defended by a nurse attorney in Arlington. As a matter of fact, the RN license and LVN license can even be suspended or revoked.
A perfect example of this incident happened to an RN in Arlington.
On or about September 27, 2019, and September 30, 2019, while employed as a Registered Nurse in a medical facility in Arlington, the RN exhibited signs of impaired behavior, in that she was late on her shift, appeared pale, diaphoretic, distracted, unable to communicate clearly, scattered, sweating, agitated, and unable to recall simple actions.
Subsequently, the RN was unable to complete nursing duties for her assigned patients during these shifts, including documenting in the patients’ medical records and providing handoff reports to the next shift, without assistance and prompting from a nurse preceptor. Her condition could have affected her ability to recognize subtle signs, symptoms, or changes in patients’ conditions, and could have affected her ability to make rational, accurate, and appropriate assessments, judgments, and decisions regarding patient care, thereby placing the patients in potential danger.
During the hearing, the RN states that towards the end of July, beginning of August, she lost a week of orientation which included charting experience, time management building, and working towards a full load of patients due to family emergencies. She states that she also did not have a working login for the Meditech system for the first 2 weeks so she lost more time in the orientation process in learning the charting system. She states that she spent hours on the phone with IT practically every day for those first 2 weeks and was not able to chart.
The RN states that he was late to work on the 7th, and trying to get up the floor from the parking garage quickly could have definitely made him sweaty and appear a little out of sorts. She states that she had to have another nurse correct entries that she incorrectly entered into the computer. She states that at the end of her shift, another nurse handed her a pink post-it note with a list of things still needing to be charted and told her to ask the charge nurse to check it when she was done.
The RN states that the charge nurse took a report from her at the end of the shift, and advised that she was done for the day. She states that she attempted to leave when the nurse approached her and told her she still needed to give a report as she was not the relieving nurse.
The RN states that she was extremely late on September 10, 2018, and arrived between 9:15 – 9:30. She states that she was assigned 4 patients and was surprised when her preceptor told her that she had not given medications to any of the patients since it was the RN’s responsibility. The RN states that she assessed her patients and caught up with the critical meds when she was called into the supervisor’s office.
The RN states that she was told that because she was late and erratic behavior, she was going to have undergone a drug screen. She states that she freaked out because she is prescribed ADHD medication and anti-anxiety medications, and knew that she would be positive for those medications. The RN states that she refused the screen and had her friend take her to get her car from the garage. She states that since she was late and then pulled off the floor in less than two hours of being at work, she was not able to administer all prescribed medications or finish charting.
This is just one of the many causes why every nurse in Texas is expected to act with prudence in practicing the profession. Gross negligence, disobedience, or any form of offense on the part of an RN or LVN is never excused.
Any type of accusation can be defended, as long as there is a skilled nurse attorney ready to assist you during the hearing before the Board of Nursing. The Texas Board of Nursing has full jurisdiction regarding cases that may affect an RN or LVN’s license from suspension, disciplinary action, or revocation.
The RN lost the case simply because she failed to find an effective and efficient nurse attorney. Avoid committing the same mistake she did. Find the right nurse attorney in Arlington to help you with your needs. Contact nurse attorney Yong J. An directly by calling or texting him at (832) 428-5679 for a discreet consultation.